Luke Donald has locked in his European Ryder Cup team for Bethpage Black, and for golf fans in Dubai there’s extra reason to take note: two of the 12 players heading into the New York cauldron learned their trade right here in the region.
Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre may now be Ryder Cup regulars and DP World Tour stars, but both spent their early years battling on the MENA Golf Tour — chasing points, prize money and experience across courses from Dubai to Morocco. Fast forward to 2025, and they’re now pillars of Donald’s side, proof of the pathway that the Middle East’s only OWGR-recognised circuit has provided.
Donald’s six Captain’s Picks — Ludvig Åberg, Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka — join automatic qualifiers Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Højgaard, MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose. That means 11 of the 12 players who delivered Europe’s 16½ – 11½ win in Rome two years ago are back, with only Højgaard making his debut.
For Fitzpatrick, this will be a fourth Ryder Cup appearance, while MacIntyre, Europe’s fearless left-hander, makes his second. From grinding on MENA Tour fairways in the heat to representing Europe on golf’s biggest stage, their journey is one Dubai can proudly claim a share in.
Donald knows Bethpage won’t be easy — New York crowds are loud, partisan, and relentless — but his confidence in the group is clear:
“We are a settled and united team with a strong culture… I’m excited that we now have our 12 players in place and together we are focused on trying to retain the Ryder Cup in New York and create history.”
Whatever happens in September, the MENA Golf Tour can already say this: two of its graduates are carrying Europe’s hopes into golf’s greatest team contest.
