The European team will be busy preparing for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black this week after travelling to the United States.
Luke Donald announced his Ryder Cup squad two weeks ago, and 11 of his 12 players competed at the BMW PGA Championship last weekend.
They departed for New York immediately after the tournament to play several practice rounds as part of their preparation for Bethpage Black.
The European team are in good shape, with several players playing well recently, but there are concerns over one individual.
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Smylie Kaufman raises concerns over Rasmus Hojgaard at the Ryder Cup
Former PGA Tour winner Smylie Kaufman discussed the European Ryder Cup team in the latest episode of his podcast.
He thinks Rasmus Hojgaard is the biggest wildcard for Europe because he has no idea how well he will play on debut.
“I think there’s a ton of question marks for Rasmus at the Ryder Cup, and I think he’s got the lowest floor of anybody playing in this Ryder Cup,” Kaufman explained.
“Now, he also has a ceiling that is higher than a good amount of players. I just have no idea what you’re going to get out of him. He’s a little erratic at times.
“He hits it much further than his brother, and I think he’s much more suited to play this golf course than Nicolai is. But I still have my question marks whether his game is going to carry itself to that highest level.
“I think you and I both really have a ton of respect for his game. I think a lot of players do, too, who have played with him.
“Especially with how strong a player Nicolai’s been over the last couple of years, Rasmus was a player that I think you just assumed wasn’t quite as good as his twin brother, but really, it’s crazy to see. To have two twin brothers make a Ryder Cup team, that’s just bizarre, right?”
Rasmus Hojgaard’s best potential playing partners at the Ryder Cup
Rasmus’ twin brother Nicolai played three matches at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome and scored just half a point alongside Jon Rahm in fourballs.
Rasmus will be hoping to improve on his brother’s contribution this year at Bethpage Black, but he will not be fully responsible for his performance.
European captain Luke Donald will need to pick suitable partners for Rasmus at the event, which is not as simple as it sounds.
A key factor in selecting foursomes and fourballs pairings is the golf ball players use. Both Hojgaard and Rahm use the Callaway Chrome Tour X, so those two could work well together.
Another option for Donald is to pair Hojgaard with a Ryder Cup veteran who can guide him through the match, such as Justin Rose.
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