“A lot of it is just trial and error” - Luke Donald strategically pairing Ryder Cup players at Wentworth to plan for Rome, according to Paul McGinley

The 2023 Ryder Cup is now just a few weeks away. With the teams having been chosen for both sides and the course mapped out by the team captains, the time has come to decide potential pairings for the biennial tournament. European Team captain Luke Donald has been planning about how to pair up his players, and supposedly its testing period might be in Wentworth.

According to Paul McGinley, Donald might be testing potential pairings and could very well leave some easter eggs at the 2023 BMW PGA Championship pro-am. Paul McGinley did the same when he was the captain, and he can tell that this year too, the same process is being carried out.

According to McGinley there is no time during the Ryder Cup week to sit and decide pairings. It has to be done beforehand, and the BMW PGA Championship poses the perfect chance.

“A lot of it is just trial and error, you don’t have a lot of opportunity in the Cup week to get a lot of wheels in motion. And I certainly took advantage of it when I was Ryder Cup captain, in the whole 12 months leading into it I was pairing guys together," McGinley said on Sky Sports at Wentworth.

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Paul McGinley explores potential pairings for the 2023 European Ryder Cup team

There are some deductions that McGinley made for the 2023 pairings for the European team. Rory McIlroy is playing alongside Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland this week, while Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka are grouped together.

He said:

"You could certainly look at guys potentially working together no doubt. Rahm and Hatton have played together before. McIlroy and Aberg, that could be a very exciting partnership should that happen."

Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Nicolai Hojgaard have been put into one group, while Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre are another. Needless to say, bonding with teammates is just as important ahead of the tournament.

McGinley continued:

"It's just forming relationships – it’s not just the players getting to know each other, it’s the caddies as well and understanding each other’s games."

The 2023 Ryder Cup is all set to be held between September 30 and October 1 at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome.