In truth, was it ever really in doubt that Luke Donald would be given Europe’s captaincy for the centenary edition of the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor next year?
The waiting game on the Englishman deciding whether or not to assume the captain’s role for a third time – with the prospect of a historic hat-trick of wins, having brilliantly orchestrated his team for victories in Rome in 2023 and Bethpage, New York in 2025 – has ended with confirmation of his appointment, which will certainly bring cheer to those players who produced the goods in each of Donald’s previous two terms.
A fly in the ointment exists with Jon Rahm’s current exclusion for availability given his stance in refusing to drop appeals against fines and sanctions by the DP World Tour for his move to LIV. That’s for another day, with time – over 18 months to that match in Adare – yet for a resolution. We’ll see.
Still, Donald’s appointment, while no surprise, gives him a chance to create history as the only European captain to win three Ryder Cups (he is currently tied on two with Tony Jacklin).
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The pathway to Donald accepting the invitation from Ryder Cup Europe for a third term was cleared on a couple of fronts. Firstly, his captaincy in both Rome and Bethpage was exemplary, his commitment to detail (with stats guru Edoardo Molinari a trusted vice-captain) and leadership style appealing to and motivating of his players. Secondly, Graeme McDowell’s move to LIV in 2022 effectively scuppered his prospects. At the time, McDowell was viewed as a strong favourite to captain in 2027.
Justin Rose was also, at one point, viewed as a potential captain for next year. But the Englishman’s defying of age – he is 45, and will be 47 by the time the match is played at Adare – and brilliant form of recent seasons has ensured he will bring more to the table as a player when the chips are down.
Perhaps we will see Pádraig Harrington, a captain in difficult circumstances due to the impact of Covid when he had the role at Whistling Straits in the delayed 2021 match, emerge as a potential vice-captain for Donald’s backroom team.
Donald’s vice-captains in Bethpage featured the Molinari brothers, Edoardo and Francesco, along with Thomas Bjorn, Alex Noren and José María Olazábal.
His style of captaincy has proven to be hugely successful, creating a bond in the team room that carried out on to the golf course. On the landslide 16½ to 11½ win at Marco Simone in Rome, Europe’s players’ – to a man – shouted out “two more years” at the post-tournament press conference, which ultimately led to Donald becoming Europe’s first repeat captain since 1995.
With so many potential captains at one point, the Europe Ryder Cup framework had devised a policy of a captain serving just once before handing over the reins. That policy ended up in the bin, due to Donald’s exemplary captaincy and also players like McDowell, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood (all once seen as future captains) putting themselves out of the frame on moving to LIV.
Donald’s quiet exterior masks an inner steel, and – in his two captaincies – he has not put a foot wrong.
While he may have taken his time to mull over the prospect of a third captaincy, the chance to become part of history at a special place like Adare Manor in the centenary year of the Ryder Cup proved irresistible. Straight off, his appointment has strengthened Europe’s hand.
And what are we to expect of Donald at Adare Manor?
Ironically, the words of Rahm in the afterglow of that win in Bethpage say it best when describing Donald’s style of captaincy: “The level of professionalism he’s shown us the last four years, his attention to detail in his post and his knowledge of Ryder Cup and the game and what we do on the golf course day-in and day-out is what made these last two Ryder Cups possible. He is the captain of this ship, and he’s led us better than I can see anybody leading us. He set the bar extremely high for the future captains.”
As it has happened, Donald is that future captain. Safer hands could not be found anywhere.
