Luke Donald was named the European captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup to be held at Bethpage Black, New York.
The 45-year old Englishman returns in this role after leading Europe to a victory of 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 against the United States at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, Italy earlier this year.
Bernard Gallacher, who served as Europe’s first repeated captain in 1991, 1993 and 1996, will be the last to do so.
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Donald said, “Great opportunities are rare in life and you should grab them with both your hands when they come up. This is one of those moments.” “I have been lucky as a Ryder Cup player to have many incredible times over the years. To add to that being a winning captain, to form bonds like we did with the 12 players in Italy, and to get the results we did was very special.”
“The Ryder Cup is a very important event for me. To be Captain again, and to have the opportunity to make history by becoming the only European Captain to win back to back is exciting.
Luke Donald, captain of Team Europe, arrives on the first tee for the day one foursomes at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports
It is true that being a captain away from home can be a difficult task. I’ve never been afraid of challenges and this is exactly what motivates me. “I can’t wait for another 12-strong team in Bethpage, 2025.”
Donald was initially overlooked for the 2023 Ryder Cup Captain’s role as Europe chose Sweden’s Henrik Stenson. However, Stenson lost the position when he left for LIV Golf. Donald was second choice in 2013, but now he is the clear frontrunner. Team Europe did not wait for any of the Europeans who left for LIV, including Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, to return.
Donald was part of the European Team that won on American soil in Medinah Country Club, in 2012. He led Jose Maria Olazabal’s side in the singles and secured the first blue points on the board, in one of most famous comebacks of the biennial competition’s history.
In his playing career he played in the Ryder Cup for Europe four times, and was part of winning teams on each occasion. He scored 10 1/2 points out of 15 matches.
Then he served as Vice Captain under Thomas Bjorn in 2018 and Padraig harrington in 2021 before becoming the Captain for the very first time in the 2023 competition in Rome.
Donald has won on the PGA Tour five times and on the DP World Tour eight more times. He rose to the No. For a total 56 weeks, Donald ranked No. 1 in the entire world. In 2011, he was the first golfer in history to be ranked at the top of the European Tour’s (now DP World Tour’s) and PGA Tour’s money lists in the same calendar year.
“I’ve had a good individual career. I have achieved a lot as a golfer.” Donald stated that his most memorable moments were in The Ryder Cup editions and sharing them in a team environment. “[Being Captain] felt like an award for a lifetime when I learned that I had been nominated to be captain. This is not something I take lightly. I think about it every day and more specifically around what we can do to give our team the best chance of success and to build that right culture and environment…Everyone knows how special The Ryder Cup has been as part of my career and this is an opportunity of a lifetime. It’s a huge responsibility, but I will try to enjoy the journey.
