Entertainment
Luke Donald makes picks, ready to run it back with nearly identical European Ryder Cup team
European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is bringing an almost identical team to Bethpage Black – all the way down to the same surnames.
Get Sports Updates on WhatsApp
Join our WhatsApp channel to receive breaking sports news and insider stories.
Join us on WhatsAppDonald finalized his 12-man roster on Monday with no surprises and even fewer new faces.
Eleven of the 12 players who romped to a blowout victory two years ago in Rome will return for another chance at Ryder Cup glory, with the captain ultimately swapping out one Hojgaard (Nicolai) for another (his twin, Rasmus), after the 24-year-old Dane previously secured one of the six automatic qualifying spots.
And even Rasmus isn’t unfamiliar to the cadence and drama of Ryder Cup week – he was brought in to Donald’s team in 2023 as part of the wider, non-playing staff.
Unlike Keegan Bradley’s captain’s picks, which were the subject of endless conjecture over the past few months, Donald’s choices, comparatively, were far more straightforward.
Donald went down the line Nos. 7-11 on the points standings, bringing back Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland and Matt Fitzpatrick for another go. Donald strayed further down the standings for his last pick, to No. 24, but for a good reason: two-time major winner Jon Rahm.
“Jon really sets the standard for us,” Donald said. “He understands the history of the Ryder Cup, what it represents. Obviously, he wants to follow in the footsteps of some amazing Spanish players that led the way.”
“It’s going to be special,” added Rahm. “Cannot wait to be at Bethpage, New Yorkers are going to be incredible fans. It’s going to be difficult for us but looking forward to hopefully having a better showing than the last time we did it in the U.S.”
The home team has won eight of the last nine matches in the biennial event, including five in a row.
Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton are eligible to compete in this year’s Ryder Cup while appealing the fines levied against them by the DP World Tour for playing in conflicting events on LIV.
Straka (twice), Åberg and Hovland all won on the PGA Tour this season, while Lowry and Fitzpatrick combined for nine top-10s. Rahm defended his title as the LIV individual champion.
Just missing out on the European team, as he did in 2018, was Englishman Matt Wallace, who was brought to tears Sunday after a close call at the DP World Tour’s European Masters. It’s unclear whether the victory would have been enough for Donald to select Wallace in lieu of a player who was already part of his plans, but the 35-year-old Englishman was nonetheless devastated to miss out on his chance.
The lone newcomer to this year’s squad, Rasmus Hojgaard accrued the majority of his Ryder Cup points late last year after a finishing flourish on the DP World Tour, and he solidified his spot among the top 6 with a clutch performance two weeks ago at the British Masters. He followed it up by tying for second, with Wallace, at last week’s event in Switzerland.
Donald’s six captain’s picks – which went a combined 10-8-4 in Rome – join a veteran squad that already includes Hojgaard, Hatton, Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.
It’s just the fourth time that the Europeans have had a single rookie on the team, and the first since 2012.
“Obviously a lot of continuity from Rome,” Donald said. “That’s unusual to have so many people coming back, but it just shows how good these players are.
“But even though we have a lot of continuity, this is a different animal to play away in America. We understand how difficult that is.”
Next week will feature dueling tune-up events of sorts for both Ryder Cup teams. As many as 11 players on the U.S. side are expected to sign up for the PGA Tour’s Procore Championship in Napa, while all but Sepp Straka are on the early commit list for the BMW PGA Championship, the flagship event on the DP World Tour.
The Ryder Cup is Sept. 26-28 in Farmingdale, New York.
Entertainment
Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture
The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.
Get Sports Updates on WhatsApp
Join our WhatsApp channel to receive breaking sports news and insider stories.
Join us on WhatsAppWith the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.
Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?
Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.
“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.
Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..
Entertainment
Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.
Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.
Get Sports Updates on WhatsApp
Join our WhatsApp channel to receive breaking sports news and insider stories.
Join us on WhatsAppIt’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.
These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.
Entertainment
Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses
It looks like LIV Golf is over.
Get Sports Updates on WhatsApp
Join our WhatsApp channel to receive breaking sports news and insider stories.
Join us on WhatsAppThe Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.
That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.
So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.
But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?
Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.
Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour
Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.
That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.
If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.
But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.
Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.
For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.
Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time
With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.
He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.
DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.
He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.
He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.
He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.
-
Entertainment5 months agoLindsey Vonn Turns Heads in Vibrant Red Swimwear During Tropical Getaway
-
Entertainment1 year agoFreakin’ Hot Ski Racer Lindsey Vonn Holds Second-Highest Super-G World Cup Wins
-
Entertainment1 year agoEmma Raducanu Living a Luxury Life: A Rising Star’s Glimpse into the Glamorous World
-
Entertainment1 year agoBra-less Charley Hull turns head by showing off bright red body …’
-
Entertainment1 year agoLexi Thompson Flaunts Her Athletic Physique on the Cover of Golf Magazine
-
Entertainment1 year agoCharley Hull Sizzles in Style: The Golf Queen Turning Heads On and Off the Course
-
Entertainment1 year agoPaige Spiranac posts 15 private photos: Everyone is talking about
-
Entertainment1 year agoCharley Hull Hits the Beach After a Long Day of Golfing
