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Ryder Cup 2023 bubble watch: Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm officially qualify for European team

Qualification for the U.S. Ryder Cup team ends after the BMW Championship

ryan young
Staff writer
·3 min read

There wasn’t ever much doubt, but Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm officially secured spots on the European Ryder Cup team on Wednesday.

European team captain Luke Donald announced that McIlroy and Rahm were officially on the team. They are the first two officially on the European team for the biennial event against the United States, which is set for next month outside of Rome.

McIlroy will now play in his seventh straight Ryder Cup. He made his debut in 2010, and he holds a 12-12-4 overall record. Rahm will make his third straight appearance in the Ryder Cup for Europe. He holds a 4-3-1 record.

Both McIlroy and Rahm are in the field this week at TPC Southwind in Memphis for the start of the FedExCup playoffs. Rahm enters the three-event postseason at No. 1 in the standings, almost 1,000 points ahead of McIlroy — who, after winning the FedExCup last year, enters the postseason at No. 3.

Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm have officially qualified for Europe's Ryder Cup team.
Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm have officially qualified for Europe's Ryder Cup team. (Warren Little/Getty Images)

The start of the playoffs marks one final push this year for McIlroy, though he penciled in a little break before the Ryder Cup.

“So I've got the next three weeks, then I have a week off, then I'll play the Irish Open. I'll play Wentworth,” McIlroy said Wednesday. “I've got a buddy's bachelor party in Mykonos after Wentworth for a few days, and then I have a few days to dry out before the Ryder Cup.

“I've got a big, whatever that is, six-out-of-eight run culminating with the Ryder Cup where I'm hoping to play a lot of golf.”

European qualification runs through Sept. 3. Qualification for the U.S. Ryder Cup team ends after the BMW Championship next week. Captain Zach Johnson will then make his six captain’s picks to round out the 12-man team. Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark have already qualified for the Americans.

Here’s a look at where things stand headed into the FedEx St. Jude Invitational:

U.S. Team Standings

As of Aug. 9, 2023

U.S. qualification ends after BMW Championship

1. Scottie Scheffler | Qualified

2. Wyndham Clark | Qualified

3. Brian Harman | 10,194.539 points

4. Brooks Koepka | 9,421.145 points

5. Xander Schauffele | 8,671.984 points

6. Patrick Cantlay | 8,454.750 points

On The Bubble

7. Max Homa | 8,264.479 points

8. Cameron Young | 7,679.308 points

9. Jordan Spieth | 7,482.046 points

10. Keegan Bradley | 7,422.341 points

11. Collin Morikawa | 7,116.813 points

12. Sam Burns | 6,956.303 points

European Team Standings

As of Aug. 9, 2023

European qualification ends Sept. 3

1. Rory McIlroy | Qualified

2. Jon Rahm | Qualified

3. Robert Macintyre | 1,743.57 points

4. Yannik Paul | 1,652.9 points

5. Adrian Meronk | 1,614.21 points

6. Tommy Fleetwood | 1,534.37 points

On The Bubble

7. Victor Perez | 1,527.95 points

8. Rasmus Højgaard | 1,516.86 points

9. Adrian Otaegui | 1,375.21 points

10. Shane Lowry | 1,290.23 points

11. Tyrrell Hatton | 1,253.01 points

12. Jordan Smith | 1,230.03 points