Luke Donald distances himself from Ryder Cup selection ‘politics’ amid Jon Rahm’s silence

Luke Donald distanced himself from answering about Jon Rahm's selection in the Ryder Cup. The English veteran golfer will serve as the captain of the European team in this year's edition of the biennial tournament.

Rahm was phenomenal with his game in 2023 at the Ryder Cup before he joined LIV Golf. However, toward the end of that year, he signed a deal with the Saudi League and has been struggling to earn a qualification for the Ryder Cup.

This week, Luke Donald is playing at the 2025 PGA Championship, and in a pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday, May 14, he was asked if Rahm would be in the team for the 2025 Ryder Cup.

In response, Donald said, via ASAP Sports:

"I have had zero conversations. That's a question for Guy Kinnings. I do not get involved with the politics of that. So my concentration is to get the best 12 players to New York, and hopefully everyone is eligible."

The team captain has the option to pick six players of his choice in the team for the Ryder Cup, while the remaining six are automatically qualified. However, to be eligible to play at the Ryder Cup for the European team, a player must have a DP World Tour membership.

Jon Rahm has not given up on his membership but rarely plays on the DP World Tour events, making it difficult for him to auto-qualify. As for now, Rory McIlroy tops the Ryder Cup qualification standings for the European team, followed by Shane Lowry, Rasmus Højgaard, Tyrrell Hatton, Sepp Straka, and Justin Rose. Rahm is ranked 29th in the standings.

Jon Rahm dodges the questions about the Ryder Cup

PGA: Masters Tournament - Second Round - Source: Imagn

Jon Rahm is also playing this week at the 2025 PGA Championship. In the pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday, the Spanish golfer was asked about his selection in the biennial tournament.

In response, Rahm said, via Golf.com:

“That’s a question for Luke [Donald]. It’s his team. Hopefully I can qualify, and we don’t have to question it. I would like to think that personally I am, but it’s not up to me.”

Meanwhile, this week Rahm will start with his game at the PGA Championship on Thursday, May 15. He will tee off on the tenth hole in a group with Patrick Cantlay and Matt Fitzpatrick at 8:00 am ET.

Luke Donald will tee off on the first tee hole on Thursday at 7:00 am ET in a group with Padraig Harrington and Martin Kaymer.

Rory McIlroy is one of the favorites to win this week at the PGA Championship with odds of 5-1 via BetMGM. Jon Rahm has the odds of 20-1. Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Ludvig Åberg, Justin Thomas, and Collin Morikawa are other favorite bets for this week's Major.

About the author

Ankita Yadav is an NFL and Golf writer at Sportskeeda with over three years of experience in journalism (and counting). With a Master’s degree in Chemistry, she somehow swapped test tubes for touchdowns and tee shots—and hasn’t looked back since.

She’s previously covered the world of entertainment with OtakuKart and TV Season & Spoilers and worked as an editor at ComingSoon. Her stories have racked up nearly nine million reads, and she’s had the chance to interview top athletes like professional golfer Yuvraj Singh Sandhu.

Based in Bhopal, Ankita proudly supports the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, and is a fan of Nelly Korda. When she’s not writing, she’s probably at a live music show, watching a movie or out on a long drive.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam