Jamie Donaldson streaks into Ryder Cup as unknown team Europe rookie

Jamie Donaldson is a relatively unknown player in the United States, but he’s emerged as one of the best European golfers in the world. The Welshman has competed and contended at some of the game’s biggest events for a couple years now, and he had a Ryder Cup spot reserved pretty early in the 2014 season.

Donaldson has won on the Euro Tour in each of the past three years, settling nicely in the top 50 and becoming a regular at the majors and the WGC events. His best showing in the States was at the WGC tournament at Doral, where he nearly chased down Patrick Reed during a big Sunday charge. He settled for a T2 there and huge six-figure check, and that result in a loaded field went a long way toward securing his spot on the European team for Gleneagles.

Donaldson’s win at the Czech Masters last month made it official, and he now rolls into the Ryder Cup with three straight top 10s. That’s not exactly surprising, he’s been a top 10 machine over the past 15 months or so. Most of the American audience won’t recognize his name, but he’ll be rookie threat to pick off a few points and the USA side knows exactly what they’re getting. Here’s hoping if he and Hunter Mahan go head-to-head that the two make sure to play their own ball.

This is another rookie that gives European captain Paul McGinley some flexibility. Yes, it is his first Ryder Cup, but Donaldson is playing so consistent right now that there shouldn’t be much fretting over his ability to hang in during the most intense atmosphere of his career. He could get paired up with fellow rookie and Scot Stephen Gallacher, or go with one of the veteran Englishmen like Justin Rose or Ian Poulter. Donaldson is a huge luxury for McGinley, even if you’ve never heard of him before this Ryder Cup.

Age: 38
World ranking: 25
Ryder Cup record (Win-Loss-Halve): 0-0-0
Past Ryder Cup appearance: None
How he qualified: Automatic spot -- 4th (of 4 spots) on European Points List