Breakout PGA Tour star Kristoffer Reitan opens up on Ryder Cup mission and Luke Donald 'signal'Sam Frost Thu, November 12, 2026 at 10:38 AM UTC
Kristoffer Reitan is leaving nothing to chance in his pursuit of a Ryder Cup debut -Credit:Franco Arland/Getty Images (Franco Arland/Getty Images)
DUBAI — Kristoffer Reitan insists he is taking nothing for granted as he chases a spot on Europe's Ryder Cup team, even if some of his friends think he is a shoo-in.
The Norwegian, 28, has enjoyed a breakout season, winning the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow in May to announce himself as a rising star on the PGA Tour.
His performances have caught the attention of captain Luke Donald, who invited Reitan — and three other would-be rookies — to a scouting trip at Adare Manor in September, 12 months before the showdown with Jim Furyk's Americans in Ireland.
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Competition for places on the 12-man European will be fierce after wins under Donald's leadership in Rome and New York. The past two teams have been made up of just 13 players, and the two men who played in just one of those wins share the same DNA — twin brothers Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard.
Donald is likely to rely on the formula of continuity that has brought him success, and changes will be minimal unless stalwarts suffer steep declines. Reitan knows he must present a case that cannot be ignored if he is to force his way in.
"Very, very cool to get a small taste of it and feel a little bit involved," he told Mirror U.S. Sports of the scouting trip. "I get a lot of questions, or some people saying, 'Oh yeah, Ryder Cup team, you should be good for that,' or whatever.
"For me, it was more like a signal of, 'Hey, you've done a pretty good job so far. This is what you should be striving for,' and there's a lot of work to be done and a full year of golf coming up ahead. I know I need to be on my absolute best to try and be a part of that team.
Reitan won his first career PGA Tour event at the Truist Championship -Credit:Photo by Eston Parker/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images
"I think that was kind of the same message for all the guys from the outside looking in a little bit that, you know, 'Good job, and we want to see more.'
"That's kind of the message that I got across: seeing some good tendencies, but I'm definitely not taking anything as a given and know that I need to keep progressing my game and need to be in proper, proper shape at the time of the selection part to have a chance to be a part of that team.
"But it's definitely cool just to be a part of that conversation and to be involved in that group of players."
Norway is a growing power in the game, headed by former FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland, but that was not the case in Reitan's youth. But he has enduring memories of the Ryder Cup, and he is craving the opportunity to don the blue of Europe and feel the camaraderie.
Luke Donald is likely to make few changes to his Ryder Cup team as he chases three in a row, but Reitan is on his radar -Credit:Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
"I went to see the one in Wales," the world No. 32 said. "It was cool to see that live and sense that atmosphere. It's always been a huge thing on top of like a pedestal for me.
"But what I think is the coolest part about a Ryder Cup is that you get to be a part of a team, which you don't really feel a lot within golf. I had one experience of it this year at the Zurich with my good friend Kris Ventura, and it's something I want to do more of.
"To be a part of the European Ryder Cup team would be something absolutely special. So that's why we're out here working."
To make the team, captain Donald will need to see improvement. He is blessed with power, but he lost strokes to the field in the approach, around the green, and putting categories over the course of the PGA Tour season. When it clicks, though, he is a supreme talent.
It is that need to hone his craft that has led him to focus his efforts on the PGA Tour. This week's DP World Tour Championship is just his fifth event on the European circuit next season.
Reitan has absolute freedom to decide when and where he plays thanks to his wins at the Nedbank Golf Challenge and Truist Championship over the past 12 months. He is also fully exempt for the PGA Tour's lucrative Championship Series when it launches in 2028.
With his playing rights taken care of, Reitan will be spending the lion's share of his time in the U.S. He said: "The main focus needs to be on the PGA Tour. I'm not underestimating the level over there at all."
Source: Sports
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