Luke Donald has been heavily tipped to captain Europe for a third successive Ryder Cup when the biennial contest is played in Adare Manor in 2027.
Should he opt in for a third stint, Donald could become the first European Ryder Cup captain to lead his side to three wins in a row having joined Tony Jacklin as the only European captains to win successive Ryder Cups following triumphs in Rome and New York.
2010 Ryder Cup winning captain and eight-time Race to Dubai winner Collin Montgomerie has become the latest golfing figure to endorse the Englishman for a third term at the helm.
“Well, I mean, there’s an obvious choice, really,” he said of the 2027 captaincy. The next stop is Justin Rose, but I think he’s said, ‘look, I want to play’. And I think that’s the right decision for Justin. He’ll be still good enough to represent that top 12 in Europe.
“So that leaves Luke Donald to be captain again, doesn’t it? It was a very brave decision to take it a second time in New York, away from home, something that we hadn’t done for almost a generation, to win away from home.
“If he was brave enough to do that, then I’m convinced that he’s brave enough to do a third term and win again at home. Knowing that our record at home is very, very special.
“It’s less of a brave decision to take a home tie. So if I was on that committee, I’d be voting for Luke to take on that captaincy again for the third time and try and beat Tony Jacklin’s record of two and a half wins, try and get three out of three, which would be extraordinary.”
Donald has refused to rule out a third stint as European captain while his vice captains Francesco and Edoardo Molinari have been heavily linked with the role as has Pádraig Harrington after he captained Europe in 2021.
Graeme McDowell would dearly love the opportunity but given the fracture in world golf since the inception of LIV Golf, a tour he joined in 2022, that seems very unlikely.
“Of course I would love to captain Europe,” said McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion and a veteran of four Ryder Cups, including three victories.
“Two years from now it’s in Adare Manor and I mean it would be the greatest moment of my life if I could stand up there. Potentially unlikely, but I would do anything to have that opportunity and we will see.”
