Following his victory in Rome last month, Luke Donald will lead Team Europe once more in the 2025 Ryder Cup. The Englishman may play against Tiger Woods.
Following Tiger Woods’ reappointment as Team Europe captain, Luke Donald has hinted at the possibility of playing the former world number one in the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Donald was recalled as European skipper on Wednesday after leading his continent to a dominant 16.5-11.5 victory at Marco Simone in Rome. And on the back of the win the Englishman has opted to make a return in 2025, becoming the first back-to-back European captain since Bernard Gallacher in 1995.
Whilst Donald was able to kick off his captaincy spell by winning the Ryder Cup, his second attempt will no doubt prove a tougher test, with the Europeans taking on their American rivals on away soil.
Team USA will also be keen to bounce back from their dismal defeat under Zach Johnson, and one man who has been tipped to lead the resurgence is Woods. Discussing the prospect of taking on the 15-time major champion, Donald said: “Tiger has been mentioned as a possible candidate and we’ll have to wait and see.
“You would think he was going to be a Ryder Cup captain at some point and if it’s this time, great, if it’s another time, great. I’ve got to play a lot of times with Tiger in my career. I have great admiration for what he’s done, what he’s done in the game.
“It’s something a little bit out of my control so I’m not really trying to think about it. Once it happens, then we’ll address it. But if it’s Tiger or someone else I’m looking forward to the challenge of being captain once more. The desire to win, whoever the US captain is, is strong.”
There is no doubt an American team lead by 82-time PGA Tour winner would make the already uphill task of winning an away Ryder Cup even harder, but on the back of victory in the Italian capital last month Donald is more than ready for the challenge. “There is no question that being a captain away from home is a tough task,” he commented.
“But I have never shied away from challenges throughout my career and it is precisely the kind of thing that motivates me. I can’t wait to get another 12-strong team to Bethpage in 2025.” One man who will be delighted to see the Englishman return is Rory McIlroy, who led chants of ‘two more years’ towards Donald among his fellow players following the win in Rome.
Donald’s European setup in 2023 was bolstered by McIlroy, who appears to be planning a comeback after sending a stern warning to his American competitors last month. “I believe that winning a Ryder Cup away is one of the biggest achievements in golf right now,” McIlroy remarked. “And at Bethpage, that is what we are going to do.”