After Zach Johnson’s Merciful Move, Luke Donald Shows No Respect to LIV Golfers; Adds Salt to Wounds of Already Dethroned Henrik Stenson

The 2023 Ryder Cup is inching closer and the two captains have finally declared their teams. LIV Golfers were scheduled to appear and Captain Zach Johnson sure made space for Ryder Cup enthusiast Brooks Koepka on his team.

However, where Team Europe is concerned, it seems that the controversial switch from Henrik Stenson to Luke Donald has poured out into the final team as well. Captain Donald today has announced his picks after the hectic lockdown of the auto spots and it seems many aspiring players on the Saudi-backed team took an extensive hit.

The lineup after Henrik Stenson was excused from captainship seems to show no mercy to LIV Golfers

Henrik Stenson was the initial captain picked to lead Team Europe in 2023. However, he announced his decision to join LIV golf soon after and all hell broke loose for him. He was removed from captaincy and replaced by Luke Donald.

For a while now, many LIV golfers, including Stenson, have held out hope to make it into the teams via captain’s picks. However, as the new captain of Team Europe announced his picks today, it looks like none of the LIV Golfers including the former captain of the Ryder Cup team made that list.

The finalized players are Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Aberg, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Nicolai Hojgaard, and Sepp Straka. No LIV Golfers will be appearing on Team Europe this season despite the DP World Tour’s initiative to include players from the breakaway circuit.

In light of Captain Johnson’s decision to include LIV golfer Brooks Koepka in his picks due to his exceptional skills and dedication to Team US, fans are a little disappointed with Team Europe’s lineup. The lack of dedicated LIV golfers, or at least Henrik Stenson, was a piece of big news in the golfing community.

What does the final Team Europe lineup look like?

Before the Captain announced his picks, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, followed by Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, and finally Robert Macintyre clinched the 6 auto spots.

Also read: Despite His Staggering Ryder Cup Setback, LIV Golf’s Sergio Garcia Finds Support in Former Team Europe Captain: ‘Team Room Really Sucks’

With the latest update of the Captain’s picks, the 12-member team, along with Captain Donald and his vice-captains Francesco Molinari, Thomas Bjorn, Nicolas Colsaerts, Jose Maria Olazabal, and Edoardo Molinari, is ready to take on the challenge of the 2023 Ryder Cup.

What do you think of Luke Donald’s choices? Do you think they should have at least included Henrik Stenson in the team? Share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments below.

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