Luke Donald picks Europe's six Ryder Cup wildcards including LIV Golf rebel Jon Rahm

Luke Donald has not risked any rookies and picked six Ryder Cup veterans, including Jon Rahm, for his wildcards to face the USA later this month. Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick make up the rest of the picks.

Rahm said: “It’s a different feeling. I didn’t think I would be as emotional as I feel right now. Luke called and told me a few days ago. New Yorkers are going to be incredible fans, it’s going to be difficult for us.”

Donald added: "Jon sets the standard for us. He is meticulous with what he does. He is first up and last out of the team room. He understands the history of the Ryder Cup and what it represents, following in the footsteps of some amazing Spanish players."

President Donald Trump will attend the first day of the contest on September 26 amid a raucous atmosphere at Bethpage Black.

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And so after the initial six team members - Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Rasmus Hojgaard and Tyrrell Hatton were named - the European skipper has picked the next five players in the rankings in Lowry, Straka, Aberg, Hovland and Fitzpatrick.

And although Matt Wallace was 12th in the qualifying table, Donald has gone for the experience of double Major champion and LIV star Jon Rahm. He was down at 24 in the rankings but has a proven Ryder Cup pedigree.

Hojgaard is the only rookie in the European team after qualifying in fifth place. The Dane replacing his brother Nicolai is the only change from the team in Rome.

Europe won 16.5 to 11.5 in 2023 but Donald’s team will be seeking the first away Ryder Cup win since the Miracle of Medinah in 2012.

There are four rookies on the US team. US skipper Keegan Bradley decided not pick himself but chose Cameron Young and Ben Griffin to join debutants JJ Spaun and Russell Henley who qualified automatically.

In Ryder Cup history, no team has retained as many as 11 players from the previous team.

Donald said: “I feel amazingly proud of these guys and how well they have played. Obviously a lot of continuity from Rome. That is unusual to have so many people coming back but that just shows how good these players are.

"Even though we have a lot of continuity, this is a different animal playing away in America. We understand how difficult that is. I have looked at it from very different angles to try and get us prepared for this amazing challenge ahead.

“It is a different animal. Different challenge. Having the chance to do it again doesn’t mean that we are going to do the same things that we did in Rome. It is about implementing new techniques. I have tried to look hard at what this will require. I am very aware that we have lost three out of the last four away Ryder Cups be significant margins and it is a tough challenge. It is a tough environment. But I have done everything I can to give our team the best opportunity.”