Team Cup: Matthieu Pavon and Antoine Rozner with the Continentals

Eighteen of the twenty participants in the next Team Cup, a dress rehearsal before the Ryder Cup in Bethpage and scheduled for January 10 to 12, 2025 at the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort, are known. Matthieu Pavon and Antoine Rozner were selected in the team led by captain Francesco Molinari against the British team led by Englishman Justin Rose.

Francesco Molinari et Justin Roserespectively captain of the continental and British team of the Team Cup 2025have made their choice. Under the responsibility of Luke Donaldthe captain of the European team Ryder Cup who will put his trophy back into play in September at Bethpage (New York), the two men announced the names of the “ happy chosen ones » who will compete in the event from January 10 to 12 at theAbu Dhabi Golf Resort.

This team competition, played in a match play format and which is intended to be a copy and paste of the legendary Ryder Cup, aims to identify possible candidates who will have the difficult task of facing the United States from September 26 to 28 in Bethpage, a suburb of New York. In 2023, the continental team already “coached” by the Italian Francesco Molinari had beaten its British counterpart 14.5 to 10.5. Victor Perez et Antoine Rozner had also been part of the party.

A very strong Danish colony…

If the first was not selected for this new edition (a fourballs session on Friday, two foursomes sessions on Saturday and a singles session on Sunday), the second will be added again. Freshly promoted on the PGA Tour thanks to his superb tied 3rd place in the DP World Tour Championshipthe Racingman will find Matthew Pavonwinner, we recall, of the Farmers Insurance Open in January 2024 at Torrey Pines (California).

Alongside the tricolor duo, we find a very strong Danish colony made up of brothers HøjgaardNicholas and Rasmus, de Niklas Nørgaardalso a new member of the PGA Tour 2025, but also Thorbjørn Olesenalso a ticket for the PGA Tour in your pocket, and n°1 of the Road to Mallorca, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. The Italian Matteo Manassero12th in the Race and who will compete in the United States in 2025, completes this XXL list.

Hatton is already positioning himself for Bethpage

Among the British, the English win almost all the stakes since there are eight of them to be “selected” for the moment. In addition to Justin Rose, who no longer needs to be introduced, we note the presence of several executives from the last Ryder Cup team in Rome, namely Tommy Fleetwood et Tyrrell Hattondespite his status as a player of the LIFE Golf.

In their wake, let us cite Paul Waringrecent winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the five-time winner on the European Tour, Matt Wallace, Jordan Smith, Laurie Canter or even Aaron Raivictorious in August of Wyndham Championshipthe last tournament of the PGA Tour regular season. Justin Rose will also be able to count on the enthusiasm of the young Northern Irishman Tom McKibbinonly 21 years old, who, by finishing 18th in the Race, validates his ticket for the PGA Tour.

We can't wait to see who can make their mark next year with the goal of earning a spot on my team for New York.

Luke Donald

It should be noted that the 18 players confirmed for the moment in this Team Cup combine 70 victories on the DP World Toursix of them even already having a Ryder Cup history: Rose, Fleetwood, Hatton, Francesco Molinari, Nicolai Højgaard and Thorbjørn Olesen. The tenth and final player for each team will be revealed at the end of the Down Bank Golf Challenge scheduled for Sun City (South Africa) from December 5 to 8.

« Fran, Justin and I are really excited about the two teams meeting in January at the Team Cupdeclares Luke Donald in a press release. There is a great mix of youth and experience on both sides and there will certainly be a competitive atmosphere at the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort. »

« This tournament provided valuable insight to a number of players who eventually joined Rome a year agocontinues Luke Donald. Six of the twenty who were there (in January 2023) participated in the Ryder Cup. We can't wait to see who can make their mark next year with the goal of earning a spot on my team for New York. »

Photo : DP World Tour