DP World Tour veteran Pablo Larrazábal has criticised Luke Donald’s selection choices for the 2025 Ryder Cup, claiming the captain overlooked players who earned their place through recent form.
On 1 September, Donald confirmed his six wildcards for Europe’s defence of the trophy at Bethpage Black. The former World No.1 stuck largely with experience, keeping 11 of the 12 players who triumphed in Rome two years ago.
His picks were Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Åberg and Matthew Fitzpatrick. They will line up alongside automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, Tyrrell Hatton and Rasmus Højgaard.
While Donald avoided any headline-grabbing snubs, several players were left disappointed. Matt Wallace, who was visibly emotional after narrowly missing out at the Omega European Masters, was informed he had not made the team just after finishing third in Switzerland. Rising star Harry Hall was also passed over despite strong PGA Tour form, while Marco Penge’s recent surge of results went unrewarded.
Sergio García, who had hoped for an 11th Ryder Cup appearance, admitted his frustration at missing out and has since withdrawn from the Irish Open, saying he would not be mentally engaged after the decision.
Larrazábal, however, was the most outspoken critic. Posting on X, he questioned the lack of DP World Tour representation in Donald’s picks:
“Again, the Ryder Cup Europe team will go with what captain Luke thinks is the best team.
Zero players that play the European Tour schedule, so what’s the point?
Marco Penge deserved a pick and Wallace deserved a pick, but only 12 men play. Good luck in NJ.”
The Spaniard later added a sarcastic suggestion, saying Donald may as well have chosen 61-year-old Miguel Ángel Jiménez if experience was the priority. Jiménez, a four-time Ryder Cup player and three-time vice-captain, has won four times on the PGA Tour Champions this season.
Wallace, 35, responded with grace despite his disappointment. Writing on X, he congratulated the team and promised to support them from afar:
“Big congratulations and best of luck to Europe’s Ryder Cup team heading for Bethpage. I’ll be watching and supporting and know the boys can bring the trophy home.”
He admitted falling short was difficult after investing so much in his campaign, but vowed to move forward:
“For me now, this chapter closes. A new one is just around the corner. I feel my game has been in good shape over the last few months. Ultimately, it wasn’t to be for me this time.”
Wallace will now turn his attention to the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next week, determined to build on his recent form.
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