Ryder Cup Team Europe

The European Ryder Cup Team features twelve of the finest golfers from Europe. Competition for places on the team is intense, with ten performance-based places on the team secured automatically via rankings on the European Ryder Cup Points List and the Ryder Cup World Points list.

The captain of the European team also has two wildcards at his disposal, allowing him to pick two additional golfers who have not qualified automatically via the Ryder Cup points lists.

European Ryder Cup Team Qualification

Ten European players qualify automatically for the European Ryder Cup team. These players are selected according to their rankings on two points tables: the European Ryder Cup Points list and the Ryder Cup World Points List.

Points in the Ryder Cup World Points list are achieved by performing well in any golf tournament officially sanctioned by either the PGA Tour or the PGA European Tour. The standings on the European Ryder Cup Points List reflect golfers’ earnings in the year prior to the Ryder Cup, with one point allocated per Euro earned on tour.

Both tables are used when selecting the European Ryder Cup team, with the top five players in the Ryder Cup World Points list qualifying first. The top five players in the European Ryder Cup Points list who have not already qualified, then take up the remaining 5 automatic qualification positions.

The two wildcard players are then selected by the team captain. The players are often positioned just outside automatic qualification, or are chosen for extensive experience in playing the Ryder Cup.

European Ryder Cup Captain – Nick Faldo

Nick Faldo will captain the 2008 European Ryder Cup team. Faldo will not play in the tournament, but will act in a coaching capacity and will also select the players for each round of golf. It will also be Faldo’s responsibility to complete the European Ryder Cup team by picking the two wildcard entries.

Nick Faldo is undoubtedly the finest golfer to emerge from England. During his career he won six major championships, winning both the Open Championship and US Masters three times. Faldo is also a true Ryder Cup veteran, having played in 11 consecutive Ryder Cups between 1977 and 1997, winning the tournament 4 times.

European Ryder Cup Team

* Padraig Harrington (IRL)
* Sergio Garcia (ESP)
* Lee Westwood (ENG)
* Henrik Stenson (SWE)
* Robert Karlsson (SWE)
* Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP)
* Graeme McDowell (NIR)
* Justin Rose (ENG)
* Soren Hansen (DEN)
* Oliver Wilson (ENG)
* Ian Poulter (ENG)
* Paul Casey (ENG)