It is already clear who Luke Donald should be pairing Jon Rahm with at the Ryder Cup

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If Europe are going to win the Ryder Cup at Bethpage in September, it is imperative that Luke Donald gets the very best out of his biggest stars.

Europe head to Bethpage looking to become the first away team to win the Ryder Cup since 2012. Luke Donald was part of that team which pulled off the Miracle at Medinah.

Donald produced few surprises with his captain’s picks on Monday. Europe will indeed head stateside with 11 of the players who were sublime in Rome in 2023.

On that occasion, the performances of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood were crucial in leading the home side to victory. All of the quartet collected at least three points during the week.

Luke Donald facing simple task deciding who to pair Jon Rahm with at the Ryder Cup

Europe will need the likes of McIlroy, Rahm and Fleetwood to be firing on all cylinders if they are going to win later this month. Of course, one of the key tasks for Donald will be pairing them with the right teammates.

Rahm has had a number of partners over the years, including Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Tyrrell Hatton.

Rahm and Hatton are unbeaten together in three matches across two Ryder Cups. And speaking on the Sky Sports documentary Europe! Europe! from 2023, Rahm explained why himself and the Englishman really click as a partnership.

“I think it’s because we’re both the way we are that it worked so well. We understand each other very well, we understand what’s going through each other’s mind when we miss a shot. It’s because of that that we could embrace each other and do our best. I always thought we’d be a great partnership,” he said.

“I think this could be a pairing which lasts a long time. I enjoy playing with tournaments with Tyrrell. I enjoy the time with him and [his former caddie] Mick, we have a lot of fun and I think the chemistry is clearly there.”

How Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have performed together in the Ryder Cup

Of course, Rahm and Hatton’s partnership has only got stronger over the last couple of years with the pair jumping to LIV Golf in the months after the 2023 Ryder Cup. They played their part in Legion XIII winning the Team Championship this past season.

The 2021 Ryder Cup was fairly miserable from a European perspective. But Rahm had an outstanding week as he won 3.5 points from his five matches. Along the way, him and Hatton tied with Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler.

Two years later, the pair beat Scheffler and Sam Burns, and Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.

Donald should grant Rahm’s wish and have him and Hatton pencilled in for at least three sessions at Bethpage.

Given what they have achieved together in Ryder Cups and on LIV, they could be one of the most formidable pairings on either side in a few weeks.