Which pairings are we likely to see on the 2025 European Ryder Cup team?

Luke Donald's 2025 European Ryder Cup team is now all set to face Keegan Bradley's United States at Bethpage from 26-28 September.

Donald confirmed his six captain's picks on Monday 1 September, before adding a final vice-captain to his team 24 hours later. 

The European skipper has kept faith in his old guard that won him the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone in Rome in 2023. 

Donald opted for Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg, Sepp Straka and Matt Fitzpatrick as his six picks.

That meant no place in the team for in-form English duo Harry Hall or Marco Penge, and no joint record 11th appearance for Sergio Garcia, who told GolfMagic he was so distraught about missing the side that he to pull out of this week's Irish Open. 

Read our exclusive with Garcia here. 

Donald's six picks join Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Robert MacIntyre and Rasmus Hojgaard on Donald's 12-man team. 

But back to the reason you are here, and the potential pairings we'll likely see in the foursomes and fourballs on the 2025 European Ryder Cup team. 

Unlike Bradley's US team where it gets tough to figure out as a result of multiple rookies and only six of the same players as 2023 on the team, things are much simpler on Donald's side. 

That's because 11 of the 12 remain the same on his team that won by five points two years ago in Italy.

The only change on the team is Rasmus Hojgaard replacing his twin Nicolai Hojgaard.

Scroll down this page to see who we think will partner who on the 2025 European Ryder Cup team...

European Ryder Cup Team 2025: Predicted Pairings

Jon Rahm / Tyrrell Hatton

This one has to be a given. 

They proved a major thorn in Team USA two years ago and we fully expect them to do the same again this time around.

Rahm and Hatton teamed up twice at the 2023 Ryder Cup and they won both of their matches.

They took out two huge American pairings too, defeating Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns 4&3 in the Friday foursomes and Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay 2&1 in the Saturday foursomes.

You can pretty much bet your bottom dollar that both Rahm and Hatton will play together in both of Friday and Saturday's foursomes sessions once again this month. 

They may even be sent out together in the fourballs for one session too, but we'll have to wait and see. 

Rahm and Hatton's bond has only strengthened since 2023 as a result of them having joined forces at Legion XIII on LIV Golf. 

Legion XIII won the LIV Golf Team Championship in Michigan last month so both players arrive in good spirits.

Rahm also went on to win the LIV Golf Individual Championship for a second year running, despite the fact he never won a tournament all season.

Rory McIlroy / Tommy Fleetwood

Here's another certain pairing for the foursomes just like the one above.

McIlroy and Fleetwood are great friends and they went unbeaten together in the foursomes at the 2023 Ryder Cup.

They also took care of two big American pairings in Schauffele and Cantlay (2&1) on Friday and then Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth on Saturday (2&1). 

Both players have been in brilliant form this season, especially of late Fleetwood, who won his first PGA Tour title with victory at the Tour Championship at East Lake.

That also secured him the season-long FedEx Cup. 

McIlroy, of course, achieved golf immortality at The Masters in April. 

The Ulsterman has not been at his best in recent months, but he has made it no secret he intends to make sure Europe win their first away Ryder Cup since the Miracle at Medinah in 2012. 

Ludvig Aberg / Viktor Hovland

We can also expect to see Donald send the Scandinavian pairing of Aberg and Hovland out there too. 

Aberg and Hovland went 2-1 together at the 2023 Ryder Cup.

They won both of their foursomes matches in devastating fashion.

Aberg and Hovland took down Max Homa and Brian Harman 4&3 in the Friday foursomes.

Then they returned together on Saturday morning to stuff Scheffler and Brooks Koepka 9&7. 

It was a performance that drew World No.1 Scheffler to tears. 

But Aberg and Hovland would lose their fourballs match later that afternoon 4&3 to Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa. 

While we do think we'll see Aberg and Hovland team up a fair bit at the 2025 Ryder Cup, we do question the current form of Hovland and that could make Donald double think whether to play the Norwegian in every session like he did in 2023. 

Much will depend how Hovland starts the Ryder Cup on the Friday. 

Shane Lowry / Sepp Straka

There's a good chance Lowry and Straka will return to play alongside one another in the foursomes again.

They went 1-1 together in the foursomes in 2023.

They won 2&1 against Morikawa and Rickie Fowler on Friday but then lost to Harman and Homa 4&3 on the Saturday.

Straka is said to be going through some 'personal issues' at the moment so we'll have to see what frame of mind he will be in come Friday 26 September, but Donald has made it clear he's more than happy to have the Austrian back on his team. 

Lowry and Straka only played in three of the five sessions at the 2023 Ryder Cup, and there's a good chance that will happen again.

Robert MacIntyre / Justin Rose

Another likely pairing you have to believe.

MacIntyre and Rose went undefeated last time out in the fourballs. 

They halved their match on day one and then they were the only European win in the Saturday fourballs when taking care of Thomas and Spieth 3&2.

The added bonus for Donald is that both MacIntyre and Rose are playing better golf arriving at Bethpage than they were at Marco Simone.

Rose recently won the FedEx St Jude Championship and MacIntyre has proven one of the most consistent performers on the PGA Tour of the last few months. 

There's no doubt Donald will be sending this pairing out in the fourballs again, and likely in the foursomes too given their current form. 

Matt Fitzpatrick / Rory McIlroy

I think we'll see this again in the fourballs.

Donald opted for the Fitzpatrick / McIlroy combo twice at the 2023 Ryder Cup. 

They destroyed Morikawa and Schauffele 5&3 in the Friday fourballs but then lost 1 down to Cantlay and Wyndham Clark after a chaotic 18th hole conclusion, which boiled over into the car park. 

Fitzpatrick had to rely on a pick to make the team but he's played some consistently solid golf of late.

You have to believe Fitzpatrick will improve on his disastrous 1-7 record at the Ryder Cup, especially if McIlroy is once again out there alongside him.

Rasmus Hojgaard / Tommy Fleetwood

Who Hojgaard ends up with at the Ryder Cup is anyone's guess, but we can sort of read between the lines as a result of where his twin Nicolai fitted in to Donald's setup in 2023.

Nicolai played with Rahm in the Friday fourballs (halved) and then he joined Fleetwood in the Saturday fourballs (lost 2&1).

The Dane was the worst performer of all the Europeans last time out taking just half a point from three matches. 

We are fully expecting Rasmus to perform better than his twin last time out, especially given the recent form he has been displaying on the DP World Tour. 

It would be a surprise to see Hojgaard out there in the foursomes at any stage, especially given he's a rookie, but he's likely to get two shots at the fourballs before the Sunday singles where all 12 players compete.

We can see Hojgaard definitely going out there with Fleetwood when McIlroy switches to play with Fitzpatrick in the fourballs. 

It's hard to see Donald wanting to separate Hatton and Rahm a great deal, but if he does then we could see Rahm out there with Hojgaard too in one of the fourball sessions. 

Hojgaard is a big hitter so should most certainly suit Bethpage Black. 

Next, read our predicted pairings for the US Ryder Cup team.