Luke Donald has 'history' in sights as third Ryder Cup captaincy is confirmed
Englishman says he hopes ‘there is a little more story to tell’ in centenary edition in Ireland
Luke Donald has been confirmed as Europe’s captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, where the Englishman will be attempting to create history by becoming the first skipper on either team to win three matches in a row.
In the immediate aftermath of Donald leading his side to victory in New York last year after he’d already masterminded a win in Rome in 2023, the European players said they wanted the former world No 1 to be at the helm again for the centenary edition in County Limerick.
Donald himself immediately admitted it was tempting but wanted to take time to mull it over with his wife, Diane, before committing to the job for a third term, as the 48-year-old has now done.
His decision comes at a time when Tiger Woods is deciding whether or not he will be the US captain in Ireland, having been offered the role by the PGA of America and, according to a recent report, told that he has a ‘soft deadline’ of early next month.
“The last two Ryder Cups have meant a lot to me and my family,” said Donald of his reappointment. “I didn’t imagine this third time would come. Celebrating on that Sunday night in New York after a pressure packed week in a tough environment, I thought maybe my job was done. But maybe there is a little more story to tell.
“This Ryder Cup Captaincy journey has given me so much focus, so much purpose and it is something I don’t take for granted. It’s a real privilege and I am certainly looking forward to another home Ryder Cup.
“History is obviously important to me. As a team, as Ryder Cup Europe, we all play for history. We talk about it a lot, about the guys who paved the way for us and the responsibility we have to inspire next generations.
“But I don’t think I have ever thought about history through a personal lens. I just try to enjoy the journey and the day-to-day work to create an environment that gives the players the opportunity for success. That is what I focus on.”
Tony Jacklin served as European captain in four matches on the trot, losing the first one narrowly at PGA National in Florida in 1983 before steering his side to victories in 1985 and 1987 at The Belfry and Muirfield Village respectively and then getting a draw back at The Belfry in 1989.
His successor, Bernard Gallacher, lost by a point at Kiawah Island in 1991 then by two points at The Belfry two years later before getting a win at the third attempt at Oak Hill Country Club in New York in 1995.
Walter Hagen and Ben Hogan led the US team to four and three Ryder Cup wins respectively in total, but neither achieved three victories consecutively.
“I think it really wasn't until three or four weeks ago that I firmly said, ‘yes, okay’, let's really figure out what the pros and cons are, and is this a good time to do it again, or give the reins over to someone else,” added Donald, replying to a question from The Scotsman in a video call with a group of journalists on Wednesday afternoon.
“I got a message from Guy [Kinnings, the European Tour Group’s chief executive] at the beginning of the year just saying they would love to hear my thoughts, and we met in Dubai a couple weeks later and had some brief conversations.
“I was still a little bit on the fence because I was really just trying to enjoy this one as long as I could. There wasn't much time between Rome and New York and I wanted to enjoy this one.
“But, having seen the backing of my family, they were very much into me doing it again. It's been an amazing experience for them, and having the backing of the players, and then thinking about the opportunity in Ireland, the 100-year anniversary, it made the opportunity seem like a really good one.”
Asked about the pros and cons, he added: “I think there was many more pros than there were cons - one being the possibility of losing if you again and, if it doesn’t go right and we are the first (European) team to lose at home, does that taint anything? - and that's ultimately why I'm sitting here.”
Woods turned down the chance to lead the Americans in last year’s match, citing his role on the PGA Tour Policy Board. He’s now serving as vice chairman of the PGA Tour Enterprises board and chairman of a new Future Competitions Committee.
When asked ahead of The Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles a fortnight about the possibility of him being the 2027 captain, the 15-time major winner said: “They have asked me for my input on it, and I haven’t made my decision yet. I’m trying to figure out what we’re trying to do with our tour.”
Asked about who he might be up against at Adare Manor, Donald admitted it that was “hard to comment on” at a time when the US captaincy is still up in the air. He described it as “inconsequential” but, pressed on the possibility that it might be Woods, admitted: “Obviously Tiger, one of the greatest if not the greatest player to play our game, moves the needle. But time will tell if he is the captain or if it's someone else.”
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