After a quiet few weeks this is the week where the new golf season really feels like it has burst back into life. Whilst Stateside the best players on the PGA Tour will be competing at the Sony Open, over in Dubai, some of the best players on the European Tour will be lining up for the Team Cup.
A tournament with a difference, the Team Cup is a matchplay event that sees the best players from Great Britain and Ireland take on their Continental European rivals in a match to be crowned the kings of European golf.
Formerly known as the Seve Trophy in honour of former European Ryder Cup Captain Seve Ballesteros, this week's event will give 2025 European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald an opportunity to see some players who will be looking to stake a claim ahead of the team being picked later on this year.
Although the event may not get the fanfare or exposure that other events may receive, it can play a vital role in developing team chemistry and potential partnerships ahead of the Ryder Cup. The European Ryder Cup team hasn’t been able to win the Ryder Cup on American soil since their remarkable comeback at Medinah in 2012. Donald will be hoping that this week’s Team Cup could help kickstart a memorable year.
Ahead of the action teeing off on the tenth of January, here is everything you need to know.
Where is the Team Cup being played?
Formerly held at venues across Europe, the Team Cup has been somewhat squeezed into the packed European Tour schedule and will be played in the warm and luxurious settings of the National Course in Abu Dhabi.
The former home of the Abu Dhabi Championship, the course is seen as ideal for match play. A long course which measures at over 7,600 yards, the course itself consists of four par fives and has plenty of water obstacles to overcome.
With birdies and eagles very much the order of the day, expect plenty of fireworks when some of Europe’s best hit the course later this week.
Who are the captains for the week?
As is synonymous with team golf events, each team will have a captain and this week two former major champions will have the honour of leading their sides out for victory.
Leading the Great Britain and Irish team is Ryder Cup stalwart Justin Rose. A winning member of Europe’s Ryder Cup team back in 2023 he will have hopes of retaining his place for the 2025 event, but his chances of making Luke Donald’s squad look slim.
However, even if Rose won’t be at Bethpage Black in a playing capacity it’s widely anticipated that he will have a role as a Vice Captain and it’s a guarantee that he will lead the European Ryder Cup team in the future. This week will allow him the opportunity to gain some valuable captaining experience ahead of the bigger challenges that are sure to come further down the road.
Having his second spell in charge of the Continental side following guiding his team to victory in 2023 is former Open Champion, Francesco Molinari.
Despite being the greatest golfer to have hailed from Italy, Molinari’s best days are behind him but like Rose, the Team Cup allows him to prepare for future Vice Captain or Captain roles at future Ryder Cups.
Who is playing?
As we have already outlined, there is no shortage of star power that will be on show at this week’s tournament. Here is who will be playing this week.
Team Great Britain and Ireland
Justin Rose
Laurie Canter
Tommy Fleetwood
Tyrell Hatton
Tom McKibbin
Aaron Rai
Jordan Smith
Matt Wallace
Paul Waring
Matthew Jordan
Continental Team
Francesco Molinari
Nicolai Hojgaard
Rasmus Hojgaard
Matteo Manassero
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
Niklas Norgaard
Thorbjorn Olesen
Matthieu Pavon
Antoine Rozner
Romain Langasque
Great British and Irish players looking to prove a point
Heading into this week, there are several British and Irish players who will be looking to catch the attention of Luke Donald.
One man rarely seen on European shores is Aaron Rai. Originally from Wolverhampton, the Englishman will be looking to make his first ever Ryder Cup team and heads into 2025 following his best ever season on the PGA Tour.
Having competed at last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions, Rai will have some form under his belt and will hope to produce some memorable golf in which could be a big week.
Without doubt the one man who has made headlines this week is young Northern Irish star, Tom McKibbin.
Billed as the next Rory McIlroy, McKibbin had done enough to secure his maiden PGA Tour card but whether he takes his place Stateside remains to be seen. With rumours abound that he has decided the LIV Tour ranks, McKibbin’s road to Ryder Cup qualification has become a lot tougher simply due to the fact that he won’t be able to play in as many events that will count towards qualification.
He will most likely have to earn his way in through a Captain’s pick and he will be desperate to impress this week.
Continental team have several looking to muscle their way into 2025 Ryder Cup squad
The bulk of the Continental side is made up of players from Scandinavia but the undoubted star of the show will be Rasmus Hojgaard.
Pipped to the post by his twin brother, Nicolai when it came to being selected for the 2023 Ryder Cup team, the fortune of the brothers has greatly changed and it’s Rasmus whose star is ascendancy.
The winner of the 2024 Irish Open, Rasmus finished second in the Race to Dubai. Thanks to his exploits in 2024, the young Dane will be playing on both the PGA and DP World Tours this season. Seen as the flag bearer for the Continental side, he will hope to prove to Luke Donald that he can handle the pressure of the occasion.
One of the best storylines from 2024 was the reemergence of Matteo Manassero. A force of nature when he first emerged on the golf scene, Manassero had won four DP World Titles by the time he was 20, but after such a fast start to his career he was bought crashing back down to earth and quickly found himself outside of the world’s top 1000.
After having become a forgotten man on Tour, Manassero worked tirelessly to battle back to the top of the game and after winning in South Africa last season, his comeback was complete.
Billed to make many Ryder Cup teams at the start of his career, the Italian is still to make his debut. Now showing exactly why he was so highly regarded as a youngster, he will hope to finally make his first Ryder Cup team when Donald announces his twelve man squad later this year.
Jack Hartman
A keen golfer and huge fan of the game, Jack has been covering golf for the last five years. Bringing you all the latest coverage and news from the PGA, LIV, LPGA and DP World Tours, never before has golf been so popular and Jack can’t wait to bring all the excitement to his readers.
