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Captain Luke Donald has announced his team for the 2023 Ryder Cup, and the reactions are mostly positive. Alongside the automatic qualifiers, Donald announced his six captain's picks which were tough choices to make for the European captain and his vice-captains.
Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, and Nicolai Hojaard were announced as the first five picks. The last spot, however, left Donald in a tiff. Ultimately, he chose young rookie Ludvig Aberg over hot favorite Adrian Meronk.
Aberg recently won the Omega European Masters, just 75 days after turning pro. Needless to say, the choice was a tough one to make and some fans felt that Meronk deserved a place in the team.
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Fans and experts split over US and European Team choices for the 2023 Ryder Cup
Both fans and experts have split opinions over both teams' choices for the 2023 Ryder Cup season. With the European Team being announced very recently, the decision to leave out Adrian Meronk has shocked almost everyone.
Meronk was not the only name off the list that shocked fans. The likes of Yannik Paul, Seamus Power, Rasmus Hogjaard, and Viktor Perez also left fans asking for more from the team. However, European Team captain Luke Donald gave his reasons for picking Ludvig Aberg over Meronk.
"He showed yesterday he has the potential to be one of golf's superstars," Donald stated.
Needless to say, both teams have come in for criticism that they are a 'boys club'. Rather than picking golfers on merit, they have been picked on due to their popularity and status.
Following is the full European team for the 2023 Ryder Cup:
- Rory McIlroy
- Jon Rahm
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Viktor Hovland
- Robert MacIntyre
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Justin Rose
- Sepp Straka
- Shane Lowry
- Nicolai Hojgaard
- Ludvig Aberg
US team captain Zach Johnson received flak for choosing the likes of Justin Thomas and Sam Burns over other golfers, especially favorite Keegan Bradley.
With the Ryder Cup being just a month away, preparations are underway for both teams. The US team will hope to defend its title at the Marco and Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome from September 30 to October 1.
