With one automatic place still available last week, Rasmus Højgaard secured his spot with a tied-13th finish in the Betfred British Masters, hosted by Sir Nick Faldo at The Belfry Hotel & Resort.

The six automatic qualifiers for Team Europe are Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, and Rasmus Højgaard.

The introduction of a single qualification list appears to have been a resounding success, replacing the former European Points and World Points List allocations.

The only anomaly is that the PGA Tour's Tour Championship, played within the qualification period, was not included as a counting event. Surely, such a flagship event should have contributed to Ryder Cup qualification? That said, new formats often require fine-tuning - it is rare to get them right first time.

Shane Lowry was the main casualty, slipping out of the final automatic spot. However, it seems almost certain he will feature as one of Captain Luke Donald's picks.

If Lowry had held onto that final automatic place, Rasmus Højgaard would likely have been awarded a captain's pick instead.

Much work has already been done behind the scenes by Donald, but making his six captain's picks may well prove the most challenging part of the job. He will confirm his choices on 1st August, 2025.

So who will he selected?

Khaleej Times believes the following names are firmly in the frame: Jon Rahm, Ludvig Åberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, and Viktor Hovland.

In our opinion, just missing out will be Matt Wallace, Marco Penge, Harry Hall, Dubai-based Thomas Detry, and a handful of others in no particular order.

With this line-up, Donald will have the experienced team he has long wanted for an away Ryder Cup in New York. In fact, it would mirror the team from Rome, the only change being Rasmus Højgaard replacing his twin brother Nicolai.

Donald now has only a few days left to finalise his picks, but he must surely feel confident he has the right blend of experience and form to take on the Americans.

On the other side, Team US Captain Keegan Bradley will announce his six picks on W ednesday, 27th August. His task is arguably tougher, and it begins with himself.

Bradley has not ruled out selecting himself after finishing tied seventh in the recent Tour Championship. But is he serious, or simply playing mind games? As the Cup build-up intensifies, surely he must recognise that the demands of being captain are too great to also consider playing.

Then again, can the US really afford to leave out the world's 11th-ranked player, who also finished 11th in Ryder Cup qualifying? That is Bradley's dilemma.

Our Khaleej Times predictions for Team USA are: Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley, Brian Harman, Cameron Young, and Patrick Cantlay.

No matter what, disappointment awaits several top Americans. Tough conversations lie ahead. And should Bradley ultimately pick himself, it will spark debate not just in the coming weeks, but perhaps for years. His decision could be remembered as one of the boldest or most misguided in Ryder Cup history.

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