Luke Donald was at Pebble Beach on Sunday to hug Rory McIlroy, his neighbour, friend and strike weapon, after his 27th PGA Tour victory.
However, the Europe captain was not only thrilled by the winner of the AT&T Pro-Am – one of the PGA Tour’s $20 million “Signature Events” – but by the performance of Shane Lowry in coming second, Justin Rose in a tie for third and Sepp Straka in seventh.
These are early days in the qualification race, but Donald is starting to formulate a picture of his likely men for Bethpage Black, where the visitors will try to win on US soil for the first time in 13 years.
The top six on the standings at the end of August qualify automatically, with Donald then naming his six wildcards.
Top six as it stands
1 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)
McIlroy arrived at the iconic layout on the Monterey Peninsula determined to be “more like Scottie Scheffler” by employing a conservative game plan. Certainly, his £3 million triumph reminds us of the world No 1, with his dominance and control.
“There are impulses that I have on the golf course that I have to rein in and be more disciplined,” McIlroy said, after his two-shot win over Lowry. “To be honest, I’m just trying to take a leaf out of Scottie’s book.”
Perhaps this suppression of aggression was best exemplified when he took a five-iron off the tee on the par-five 18th to protect a three-shot lead. “Over the course of my career I’ve had the physical attributes to do things that other guys can’t, but it’s been my mind or my thought processes that has held me back,” he said. “I told Harry [Diamond, his caddie] walking up to the final green ‘start as we mean to go on’.”
Donald will be delighted to hear it. McIlroy has declared that winning another away match is one of his primary ambitions and it is clear that he will be the on-course leader.
2 Tyrrell Hatton (England)
Has challenged himself to qualify for the team automatically and despite riding high at the moment – courtesy of two wins in five starts on the DP World Tour – will have his work cut out. The only qualifying tournaments the LIV man will play in before the race ends are the four majors and he will need a big performance at one of them, at least.
3 Rasmus Hojgaard (Denmark)
The Danish dream is to have the twins – Rasmus and Nicolai – both playing at Bethpage Black. Rasmus has enjoyed a fine start to the qualifying race, highlighted by his victory over McIlroy in Ireland. The 23-year-old is in all the top tournaments, but must pick up the pace if he is to retain his position and so earn a first-time appearance.
4 Shane Lowry (Ireland)
His runner-up finish on Sunday in a rousing week for the blue-and-gold brigade shows how important the PGA Tour Signature Events will be in the next six months. The Irishman jumped from 25th to fourth on the standings and, back in the world’s top 20, has put himself in place to earn his spot by right. It is amazing that someone of his quality has had to rely on two wildcards and has yet to qualify automatically.
5 Matt Wallace (England)
At such a hostile away venue, Donald will be wary of having too many debutants. But one rookie he would have no fear about chucking into the Bethpage bear pit is the 34-year-old Londoner. He won in Switzerland in September to elevate his hopes, but his big weakness in the qualification race is that he is currently not in the PGA Tour’s Signature Events and, at world No 70, is in danger of missing the Masters and the US Open. Needs another big week soon.
6 Niklas Norgaard (Denmark)
The last developer broke his Tour duck at the Belfry in September and has impressed since, particularly with his fourth in Dubai last month. However, the 32-year-old is 89th in the world, is not in many of the big events, and it will take a monumental effort to remain in the automatics.
And if Donald was picking his wildcards now
7 Jon Rahm (Spain)
Like Hatton, Rahm’s candidacy will be in doubt if his appeal against Tour fines for playing for LIV is rejected and he then refuses to pay. The wise money is on the appeal being heard after the Ryder Cup. Expect the Spaniard to be in New York.
8 Tommy Fleetwood (England)
Almost impossible to envisage a European team without the Englishman. Donald will be anticipating the ultra-consistent world No 11 rising into the top six.
9 Ludvig Aberg (Sweden)
Withdrew before the second round at Pebble Beach on Friday suffering from illness. Finished fifth on his seasonal bow in Hawaii last month and, as the world No 6, is one of Donald’s key assets.
10 Bob MacIntyre (Scotland)
The left-hander enjoyed a remarkable 2024, winning the Canadian Open and then winning in tearful scenes at the Scottish Open. Established in the world’s top 20 and showed on his debut two years ago that he is a Ryder Cup natural.
11 Sepp Straka (Austria)
Was the overnight leader at Pebble Beach before coming seventh. Having won on the PGA Tour on his penultimate start, the quiet character from Vienna is one of the form players in the game.
12 Justin Rose (England)
The veteran will have to produce much more of the good stuff he showed when tied for third on Sunday, but he is in all the prime-time events and Donald will want his experience out on the course and in the team room.
Players bubbling under
Aaron Rai is unlucky not to make this team as it stands. The Englishman is 25th in the world and Donald is a big fan of this quiet, but clinical operator. Laurie Canter put his name in the picture with his win in Bahrain on Sunday. The Bath golfer has moved up to 51st in the world, and needs to rise just one more place over the next few months to fulfil a lifetime objective at the Masters.
Players Donald will be looking to for form
Viktor Hovland is still in the world’s top 10, but he is providing Donald with a sizeable headache as he struggles with his swing. Donald will be desperate for the Norwegian to turn the corner and he is showing flashes of the brilliance that carried him to world No 3. Shot an opening 65 at Pebble Beach before falling to tie for 22nd.
Matt Fitzpatrick is completely out of sorts, having tumbled out of the world’s top 50. The Englishman has the time and the work ethic to rebuild, while Nicolai Hojgaard is another going in the wrong direction.
The top six-ranked players following the British Masters ending on August 24, will qualify automatically. Donald will then name his six wildcards.
Others
15. Tommy Fleetwood (England) 320.33. 20. Robert MacIntyre (Scotland) 263.57. 21. Jon Rahm (Spain) 257.80. 27. Justin Rose (England) 219.91. 44. Sepp Straka (Austria) 163.32. 48. Aaron Rai (England) 150.16. 63. Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark) 110.41. 77. Matt Fitzpatrick (England) 75.07. 96. Viktor Hovland (Norway) 51.60.
