England’s Luke Donald seen here with the Ryder Cup at a promotional event has been named captain for the 2027 edition in Ireland giving him the chance to go for a third straight time after Rome and Bethpage Black. Image courtesy Ryder Cup Europe/Getty Images.
By Rahul Banerji
Luke Donald has the opportunity to seek an unprecedented three-peat after being named Europe’s captain for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland, next year.
The biennial contest marks its 100th anniversary in 2027 and Donald will have the chance to mark the occasion with his own piece of history, a statement from Ryder Cup Europe said on Wednesday.
The genial Englishman led Team Europe to a 16½-11½ victory over the US at Marco Simone, Rome in 2023, and a 15-13 win at Bethpage, New York last September.
The 2025 win was Europe’s first in the US since 2012 and made Donald only the second to win both home and away since Tony Jacklin in 1985 and 1987.
Speaking at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Bay Hill, Florida, Rory McIlroy, one of the stars of Bethpage, said, “I think it’s obviously a huge advantage for the European team to have that continuity and that consistency.
”I was sort of banging on that drum going into Bethpage and we’ll have it even more so again.
Players thrilled
“There’s not one player or one person behind the scenes that helps with Ryder Cup Europe that isn’t thrilled that Luke agreed to come back and do it again,” the five-time major winner added.
“The last two Ryder Cups have meant a lot to me and my family. I didn’t imagine this third time would come,” Donald, 48, said.
“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.”
Donald was a player in the 2006 Ryder Cup team in Ireland, so he knows exactly what to expect from the atmosphere when the Ryder Cup returns to the country from September 13 to 19 next year.
Best fans
“The Irish golf fans are some of the best in the world. They are so passionate about the game … (and will) l bring such a great energy to the Ryder Cup.
“I am sure they will get behind our players and cheers us on. That’s what you want from a crowd – to pick you up in those low moments and keep you going when things are going well.
“That will be a big factor. It’s obviously one of the advantages of playing at home and there is no better place to do it than in Ireland.
European Tour Group chief executive Guy Kinnings, said: “Luke was an outstanding Captain in Rome and New York, leading the team to victory both times, and it is fantastic he is coming back to do it a third time.
“He is meticulous in everything he does when it comes to planning and preparation, but Luke would be the first to acknowledge that as good as job as he has done, this is a new challenge for him and the team.
“He will be as motivated and as committed as ever to help them achieve more success.”
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.
Hagen (1935 and 1937) and Hogan (1947 and 1949) each won two Ryder Cups in a row for the US, while Jacklin led Europe to back-to-back victories in 1985 and 1987 and retained the Ryder Cup when the 1989 contest ended 14-14 at The Belfry.
Embracing history
Donald can therefore go a step further with an historic third successive win.
He will be just the fourth to captain Europe in three or more consecutive Ryder Cups, after Dai Rees (1955, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1967), Jacklin (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989) and Bernard Gallacher (1991, 1993, 1995).
As a player, Donald represented Europe four times in the Ryder Cup, being part of a winning team on all four occasions, contributing 10½ points from his 15 matches.
After his debut at Oakland Hills in 2004, his first home Ryder Cup came in Ireland two years later when won three points from his three matches as part of Ian Woosnam’s team at The K Club in 2006.
Donald also featured in the European victories at The Celtic Manor Resort in 2010 and Medinah Country Club in 2012, then served as a vice-captain in 2018, under Thomas Bjørn, and Pádraig Harrington in 2021.
The 48-year-old spent 56 weeks as world no. 1 and in 2011 he became the first player in history to top the money lists on the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour in the same year.
Also read: Luke Donald hailed as Europe’s best-ever Ryder Cup captain
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