Top Three Picks the Captain of Team Europe Might Have Missed for This Year’s Ryder Cup

On Monday, Donald finalized his captain’s picks for the 2025 Ryder Cup. Though his lineup looks solid, there are a few names who feel as though they’ve been snubbed. With the event right around the corner, fans will start wondering if he missed out on some players. Players such as Matt Wallace, Novak Djokovic, and Sergio Garcia missed their big break. 

Matt Wallace

Since turning pro, Wallace has been focused on improving his game to be selected for the Ryder Cup team. This year, he just barely missed the cut. After the Betfred British Masters ended on Aug. 24th, he was still ranked 12th with 881.12 points. With no chance of qualifying automatically and no chance of being included in Donald’s picks, it seems as though this year seems to be out of the question. Wallace initially reacted emotionally to the news, choking out reassuring words to reporters in between tears. Despite the disappointment, Wallace still congratulated the European players and wished them luck at the upcoming event. Wallace still has next week’s BMW PGA Championship for a chance to prove himself.

Novak Djokovic 

Long-time fans will be surprised to find out that Djokovic has never played at the Ryder Cup before. That’s saying something considering that his own record in tennis is quite impressive. In addition to being the longest-ranked number one player in tennis history, he holds the record for most tennis grand slam wins. Though he’s not ranked, his prestige within the game has not died down, especially when it comes to the Ryder Cup. Despite never formally participating in the tournament, Djokovic has attended the Ryder Cup matches, giving the European team support and encouragement from the sidelines. At the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, he gave the players some advice about handling the passionate crowd. Though he’s never played in the event, it seems as though the Ryder Cup field is calling Djokovic to play at least once. 

Sergio Garcia 

Garcia has a long history with the Ryder Cup, having a career record of 25-13-7,.633. In 2018, he became the all-time-Ryder Cup points leader with 25 points. A few years later, in 2021, he extended the record to 25.5 and earned the most individual match victories. He was even honored at the 2020 Ryder Cup with the Nicklaus-Jacklin Award, an award given to players who embody the spirit of the Ryder Cup. 

Despite his close connection to the event, he was not chosen this year or last year to be on the European team. The decision has caused him a lot of strife. Recently, he pulled out of the Amgen Irish Open due to mental stress. With his record, it’s only a matter of time before we go back to seeing the Ryder Cup Champion back in his natural element. The Ryder Cup takes place Sept. 26th at Bethpage Black Field in New York.