Luke Donald remains captain of Team Europe for the 2025 Ryder Cup in the United States.
In a break from recent tradition, Donald becomes the first European in three decades to retain his role after leading his team to a comprehensive home victory in October.
“I am very pleased and proud to once again have the opportunity to lead Team Europe in the Ryder Cup,” Donald said.
“Great opportunities don’t come along often in life, and I firmly believe that when they come, you need to grab them with both hands. This is one of those moments.”
Bernard Gallagher captained Europe in three Ryder Cups in 1991, 1993 and 1995, replacing Tony Jacklin, who himself captained four times in a row in the 1980s and is the only European captain to achieve home and away victories.
Thus, Donald was 13th in Europe.e Another captain since 1997, when he led his players to victory in Rome with a score of 16.5-11.5.
The former world number one was initially offered the captaincy in August 2022 after Henrik Stenson lost the position to LIV Golf.
Donald later allayed any fears that LIV would interfere with Europe’s plans and proved a popular figure among his players, chanting “two more years” at the subsequent trophy presentation.
“The way he played this week was phenomenal. We just look at Luke on a different level,” said Tommy Fleetwood, while Rory McIlroy praised Donald’s “quiet confidence” and added: “He doesn’t have to say a lot of words. The words he says have an impact.”
“The Silent Killer with Dad Jokes”
Shane Lowry spoke about Donald’s captaincy following the win in Rome, praising his handling of the media and his ability to make everyone feel included, as well as the “dad jokes” left in the players’ rooms.
“We’ll all be very happy with Luke next time,” Lowry said. “He’s like a silent killer, isn’t he? He doesn’t say much, but when he does, you listen. I just met Luke last year and he’s a nice, funny man and he’s been brilliant this week. There are so many little things that happen during the week that you don’t notice.
“It’s hard to explain, but it’s so nice to be there with this group of people, and it’s not just twelve players. These are vice-captains, caddies, women. All sides. The right people are here, and Luke made sure of that. He made some decisions, as did the vice-captains. To some it may not seem like a big deal, but for us players it is true that we have guys like that.
“Every night when we returned to our rooms, there would be another joke from Dad on the little Ryder Cup card on our bed. I don’t remember them, they were so good. But I was very impressed with the way he spoke to the media all week. The way he spoke at the opening ceremony gave us confidence. When you have a captain who can open up like an Italian, it’s incredible. Even Molinari was impressed.”
Who will captain the US Ryder Cup in 2025?
No American has captained back-to-back Ryder Cups since Ben Hogan from 1947–49, and Davis Love III became the youngest two-time captain when he took on the role again in 2016, overcoming the shock 2012 defeat by 17 wins . 11 Hazeltine wins.
Therefore, Zach Johnson is unlikely to retain the captain’s armband after defeat in Rome, and Tiger Woods is the bookmakers’ favorite.
Woods, a 15-time major champion who made eight Ryder Cup appearances as a player, recently dismissed rumors that he would take over as captain as he focuses on his return to golf.
“There’s too much at stake on our tour right now to think about the Ryder Cup,” he said ahead of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, where he will compete for the first time since the Masters.
Stuart Cink, Johnson’s vice-captain in 2023, is also considered a candidate for the 2025 captaincy, as is Matt Kuchar, a 2018 vice-captain.
When was the last time Europe won the Ryder Cup in the USA?
The stability provided by Donald’s return to captaincy could be the basis for Europe achieving a rare victory over the US in 2025.
Donald has just two years to prepare for Bethpage before the likes of Adrian Meronk, Vincent Norman and Nikolaj Hojgaard will hope to find their way into a European team.
And with a healthy mix of new talent and experienced minds, Donald will be looking to secure Europe’s third away win this century and first since the Miracle of Medina in 2012, in which he helped secure two points, including his first singles point. to their remarkable return on Sunday.
“As a player, I have been fortunate to have many great moments at the Ryder Cup over the years and, moreover, as a winning captain, to bond with twelve players, as we did in Italy, and achieve a result. We did it, it was really special,” Donald said.
“The Ryder Cup means so much to me so it’s great to be captain again and have the chance to make history by becoming the second European captain to win back-to-back. There is no doubt that being a captain away from home is hard work.
“But throughout my career I have never shied away from a challenge and that is what motivates me. I can’t wait to bring another 12-person team to Bethpage in 2025.”
When is the next Ryder Cup?
The next Ryder Cup will be held in September 2025 at Bethpage Black Stadium on Long Island, New York.
In 2027, Ireland will host the Adare Estate in County Limerick.
Source: I News
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.