Two European players greatly improved their chances of making the 2027 Ryder Cup team last weekend.
The 2026 DP World Tour season only started two weeks ago, but there have already been two significant events.
Indeed, the Australian Open and the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa are two of the highlights on the DP World Tour calendar.
They were both contested by strong fields and eventually won by up-and-coming players who could be on the next European Ryder Cup team.
Kristoffer Reitan and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen boost Ryder Cup chances
Two players who could make the 12-man lineup for Adare Manor are Kristoffer Reitan and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
Reitan won his first DP World Tour event at the Soudal Open in May and finished T30 at the Open Championship in July.
Those results helped him to eighth place in the Race to Dubai and earned him a PGA Tour card for the 2026 season.
And Reitan’s year got even better last weekend, as he won the Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club.
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The 27-year-old held such a big lead heading into the final round that his even-par 72 was enough for a one-stroke victory.
Reitan has now established himself as a top 40 player in the world ahead of an exciting 2026 in the United States.
Meanwhile, fellow Scandinavian Neergaard-Petersen achieved an even more impressive victory at the Australian Open.
He beat a star-studded field, with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Cameron Smith, and Adam Scott, to the title at Royal Melbourne.
Neergaard-Petersen is now just outside the top 50 in the world rankings after his first win on the DP World Tour and has the potential to climb much higher.
Europe will not want to make many changes to Ryder Cup team
One of Europe’s biggest strengths at the 2025 Ryder Cup was their continuity, with 11 of the same players as in 2023.
So, they will certainly not be looking to rebuild the team for 2027, but there is always the chance of a few new faces.
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The points system also gives less established players the chance to qualify for the team, as Rasmus Hojgaard proved this year.
Qualification should be Reitan and Neergaard-Petersen’s aim, but they will also be on the radar for captain’s picks if they continue to play as well as they have done lately.
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