‘Ludvig Aberg’: After Rory McIlroy’s qualification, golf fans predict players for the last five spots in the Ryder Cup Team Europe

Rory McIlroy has officially secured his spot on Team Europe for the upcoming 2025 Ryder Cup. The latest post shared by Ryder Cup Europe featured a photo of McIlroy waving in celebration alongside European teammates, announcing that five automatic qualification spots remain open.

While the announcement was about Team Europe, the comment section quickly turned into a prediction board for fans. The caption of the post reads:

"Rory’s qualified. Five automatic spots left, who’s securing their seat on the plane? ✈️"

One fan commented:

“Ludvig Aberg 🤝”

Another fan wrote:

“Come on Tommy 🙌,”

“Hovland!!” exclaimed one fan.

One fan added humor to their predictions, writing:

“Lowry and Rose – sounds like a firm of solicitors but they will be amazing 😅,

while another fan wrote,

“Yippeeee. Let’s go. HOVLAND!!!!!!!”

Image via Instagram, Screenshot of the comment section of the post shared by Ryder Cup Europe (@rydercupeurope)

Ludvig Aberg turned professional in June 2023. He became the first player ever to be selected for a Ryder Cup team without having played in a major championship, after being picked by Europe’s captain Luke Donald in 2023. His performance in Rome, alongside Viktor Hovland, helped solidify Europe’s win.

Aberg’s strong 2024 season has increased his chances of automatic qualification for the 2025 edition at Bethpage Black in New York. He finished T2 at the Masters and has been consistently ranked inside the top 10 on the Official World Golf Ranking. With five spots left, fans are eager to see him qualify directly this time.

The qualification process for Team Europe includes a single Ryder Cup Points List, combining performances across both the DP World Tour and PGA Tour under a new tournament banding system. The 2025 Ryder Cup will be held at Bethpage Black from September 26 to 28. Meanwhile, let's look at Rory McIlroy's 2025 season in detail.

Highlights of Rory McIlroy’s 2025 season

Rory McIlroy kicked off his 2025 season at Pebble Beach. Over four rounds, he carded 21-under-par to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by two shots over Shane Lowry. His driving was dominant, averaging 336.7 yards off the tee and earning +5.97 strokes Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee. The win, worth $3.6 million, marked his 27th PGA Tour title and secured an eighth straight season with a victory.

Next, at TPC Sawgrass in March, McIlroy returned to the Players Championship. He and J.J. Spaun tied at 12-under after 72 holes and faced off in a three-hole aggregate playoff. McIlroy prevailed, claiming his second Players title and the winner’s share of $4.5 million from a $25 million purse.

At the 2025 Masters, after holding a two-stroke lead heading into Sunday, he and Justin Rose finished tied at 11-under. McIlroy birdied the first playoff hole to win his first green jacket and complete the career Grand Slam. Moving forward, McIlroy finished T5 at the Houston Open, T6 at Travelers, and T7 at the Truist Championship. He missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open and shot T19 at the U.S. Open.