Luke Donald has delivered and then some while serving as Team Europe’s captain for each of the last two Ryder Cups.
After leading Europe to a 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 win in his debut in Rome two years ago, Donald became the first captain to lead a road team to victory since 2012 with a 15-13 victory last month at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y.
Donald has drawn praise as being perhaps Europe’s greatest Ryder Cup captain of all time. He’s just the second European captain to win multiple events and the first since Tony Jacklin won consecutive Ryder Cups in 1985 and 1987.
Before competing this week at the DP World India Championship in New Delhi, Donald was asked if he’s given any more consideration to captaining a third-consecutive Ryder Cup squad in the 46th event at Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027.
“I’m trying to still enjoy this one,” Donald said. ” … it’s pretty humbling when someone says you’re the greatest captain. Maybe it’s a little bit of a reaction in the present moment, but I’ve certainly given a lot to it. I’m very happy with the results that came with it, but you need those 12 players. You need the back room teams. You need the vice captains. You need so many others to make that happen.
“Certainly I play a role, but I play a small role in terms of a larger picture. I certainly couldn’t do it without the amazing support we have behind me,” Donald said. “… If I’m not a captain in two years’ time and the captain wants me to be there, then I’m sure I would be happy to help him in any way he wanted.”
As he left the course at Bethpage, Donald was greeted with shouts from the European fans in attendance begging him to take on the captain’s role one more time.
Many of the European players echoed this sentiment in the victory press conference. At the time, the English captain declined to provide a real comment on this possibility.
“I don’t know if my heart can take two more years,” Donald said Sept. 28 in the immediate aftermath of the victory. ” … We’ll see. I’m just going to enjoy tonight first.”
No one on either side of the Ryder Cup has served as captain for three straight Ryder Cups since Europe’s Bernard Gallacher in 1991, ’93 and ’95.
Donald was also asked Tuesday about Rory McIlroy’s potential future as a Ryder Cup captain. McIlroy, who called Europe’s shot that it would win at Bethpage this year immediately after the team’s 2023 victory, has won five of the eight Ryder Cups he has participated in as a player. He earned 3 1/2 points in five matches at this year’s event.
“Just the fact that he loves the Ryder Cup more than anything. He made it quite evident that winning an away Ryder Cup would really be the icing on an amazing year that he had this year,” Donald said. “He loves what it represents. You’ve seen the emotion from losing to winning. Anyone that has that passion for a Ryder Cup I think would make a good captain.”
