Luke Donald will captain Team Europe at the Ryder Cup again(Image: Getty Images)

Luke Donald makes LIV Golf move to bolster Ryder Cup team as crowd warning issued

The Ryder Cup tees off in Bethpage Black, New York in a year, and Europe captain Luke Donald has been talking about the chances of LIV stars Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton being picked

by · The Mirror

Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has made moves to secure LIV Golf stars including Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton - as the United States employ crowd monitors to stop rivalries boiling over.

Europe captain Donald was missing a host of big names when he led his side to victory in Rome, as the battle between Saudi Arabia funded LIV and the established Tours raged. They included Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and the issue also forced Henrik Stenson’s departure as captain.

But this time Donald expects to have both Rahm and Hatton, both current LIV stars, spearheading his team at Bethpage Black, in New York in 12 months time - if they fulfil all their DP World Tour requirements.

Donald is bidding to become the first European captain to retain the Ryder Cup since Tony Jacklin in 1985 and 1987.

Rahm has been scrambling to play four DP World Tour events to maintain his DP World Tour membership and be eligible. He spent most of 2024 on the LIV tour becoming their individual champion and making $35m in prize money.

However Rahm has faced financial penalties for every LIV event he played in, and has appealed those fines with the DP Tour to allow him to play in the recent Spanish Open and Dunhill Links.

Donald said: "There is a bunch of LIV guys, who play on LIV, that are eligible now. So I can pick them at will. The DP World Tour policy is very consistent.

Luke Donald lifts the Ryder Cup in Rome( Image: Getty Images)

"It will be the same as it was in Rome. You have to be a member of the European Tour, born in Europe and if you fulfil the regulations and rules the DP World Tour sets, you are eligible. I have spoken to Jon and everyone who is a possibility.

"It was great to see Jon do what he had to do to remain eligible. We are in constant communication. Him, and Tyrrell Hatton. There is good communication between myself and others and I’ve been keeping up with that."

On Ryder Cup favourite Sergio Garcia, Donald said: “He resigned his membership a couple of years ago. He is considering rejoining and has to follow the regulations like everyone else and if he does that he will be eligible to play in the Ryder Cup.”

Luke Donald has spoken with Jon Rahm( Image: Getty Images)

The Bethpage course, and Ryder Cup rivalry, will make for a “hostile environment” for Europe as they look to emulate their 16.5 to 11.5 win. United States captain Keegan Bradley revealed “precautions” are being put in place to stop the crowds boiling over and interrupting play unfairly.

He said: “You go to an away Ryder Cup and it is difficult, a big event and we are all grown ups. I have faith in the fans of New York to be proud and loud but I don’t want them to cross the line to affect the play. It is tough for both teams. There will be an atmosphere we are not used to.

"I love the New York fans, and they have precautions in place. There will be people walking around inside the ropes monitoring the situation. It’s important that it's a fair place to play for both teams. No one wants it to be uncomfortable or weird out there.”

Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley discussed the involvement of LIV players( Image: Getty Images)

Donald said: “To be captain again is really special, an honour, a blessing. That moment when we won in Rome was the best and highlight of my career and to hear those guys shout two more years was a great moment and honour they’d want me back as captain. I can’t wait for it to kick off in just under a year.

"One of the hardest things to do is win an away Ryder Cup. Home crowd support… I have lost that advantage. Setting up the course… I have lost that. We have to counteract those.

“When you are at home you feed off the energy of the crowd, but it is going to be pro-American. We will have some support, because it is a melting pot. But two rivals, head to head, battling it out, you want it to have energy and no better place than New York to take that energy.”

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