LONDON: Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald picked rising star Ludvig Aberg plus major winners Justin Rose and Shane Lowry among his six wildcards for the tournament in Rome.
His other selections for the 12-man team to take on the United States are Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka and Nicolai Hojgaard.
They join automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntire in Donald’s team, which will attempt to regain the trophy at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club from September 29 to October 1.
Europe suffered a record 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits in 2021.
Aberg only turned professional in June, but the former world number one amateur won the final qualifying event in Switzerland on Sunday with a final round of 64 at Crans-sur-Sierre.
The 23-year-old Swede has made the quickest transition from the amateur ranks to the Ryder Cup in the contest’s history, eclipsing the previous record set by Sergio Garcia, who made his debut in September 1999 after turning professional following April’s Masters.
“We have great depth of talent in Europe, and that is perfectly illustrated with the team we now have confirmed for Rome, which is a strong blend of players with previous Ryder Cup experience combined with exciting and talented rookies,” said Donald.
“I’m really pleased to have this team now in place and we are all looking forward to going to Rome later this month and trying to win back the Ryder Cup.”
Speaking about Aberg, the Europe skipper said: “We obviously knew what he was doing in the college scene. You look at what he did in those four years and the only comparables really were Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm. He is that good.”
He added: “I really do have a lot of faith and belief in Ludvig. He is a generational player, he’s going to be around a long time and he’s going to do amazing things.
“If he wasn’t going to play this one he was going to play the next eight Ryder Cups, that’s how good I think he is.”
Former US Open champion Rose, who has not played in the Ryder Cup since 2018, ended a four-year title drought on the PGA Tour in February.
Lowry, the British Open champion in 2019, won the first qualifying event, the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, but has recorded just one top-10 finish this year.
The United States have not lifted the trophy on European soil since 1993 but will arrive in Italy as favorites, with three of this year’s major champions including LIV star Brooks Koepka in their ranks alongside world number one Scottie Scheffler.
But Europe boast three of the top four ranked players in the world in McIlroy, Rahm and Hovland.
Donald names ‘generational’ talent Aberg plus Rose, Lowry among Ryder Cup picks
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Donald names ‘generational’ talent Aberg plus Rose, Lowry among Ryder Cup picks
- Other selections for the 12-man team to take on the United States are Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka and Nicolai Hojgaard
- They join automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntire
Ton-up Farhan helps Pakistan seal Super Eight spot with Namibia rout
- It was Farhan’s maiden T20 ton and he became only the second Pakistani to score a T20 World Cup century after Ahmed Shehzad in 2014 against Bangladesh
COLOMBO: Sahibzada Farhan hit a magnificent unbeaten century to help Pakistan seal the final Super Eight berth at the T20 World Cup with a thumping 102-run win over Namibia in Colombo on Wednesday.
Farhan scored 100 not out off 58 balls with four sixes and 10 fours as Pakistan posted 199-3 before they routed Namibia for 97 in 17.3 overs.
Pakistan’s victory took them to six points from four games in Group A and eliminated the United States, who finished with four points.
India also have six points and play the Netherlands in the group’s final game later Wednesday.
The defending champions India, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the West Indies will play each other in the Super eights Group 1, hosted in India.
Pakistan join New Zealand, England and co-hosts Sri Lanka in Group 2, hosted in Sri Lanka.
After a morale-shattering 61-run defeat against India, Pakistan needed a victory to avoid an early exit, which was achieved with ease as spinners Usman Tariq (4-16) and Shadab Khan (3-19) tore through the Namibia batting.
Louren Steenkamp scored 23 while Alexander Busing-Volschenk was the only other batsman to reach double figures with 20.
‘Complete performance’
Skipper Salman Agha praised a clinical show.
“It is a complete performance,” said a relieved Agha.
“We batted well and Farhan anchored the innings. He has been batting well for a while and I am happy that he got his hundred.
“With the ball we were lethal.”
Namibian skipper Gerhard Erasmus admitted Pakistan’s spin bowlers were too hot to handle.
“It (spin) is a special skill to have, to turn the ball both ways like they do,” said Erasmus.
“I think that’s one of the things we’ll definitely take home and look to improve on.”
Farhan earlier blasted a six and a four off pace bowler Jack Brassell to enter the 90s before taking a single off Gerhard Erasmus to complete his hundred in the final over.
It was Farhan’s maiden T20 ton and he became only the second Pakistani to score a T20 World Cup century after Ahmed Shehzad in 2014 against Bangladesh.
Shadab Khan, promoted to No. 5 with Babar Azam left out, hit three sixes and a four in his 36 not out off 22 balls as Pakistan smashed 42 from the last three overs.
Farhan put on 40 for the opening wicket with Saim Ayub (14) before consolidating the innings during a 67-run second wicket stand with captain Salman Agha (38).
Pakistan also left out pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi after a poor show in the first three matches, including conceding 31 in two overs in the defeat against India on Sunday.
Farhan’s ton means this is the first T20 World Cup in which three centuries have been scored.
He followed Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka, who scored a hundred against Australia on Monday, and Canada’s Yuvraj Sama who reached three figures against New Zealand on Tuesday.
