Luke Donald leads Team Europe into battle once again this year, with the Englishman becoming the first back-to-back European captain since Bernard Gallacher in 1995.
Gallacher was skipper for the third consecutive time 30 years ago at Oak Hill so Donald going three-in-a-row shouldn't be completely written off, but it does seem unlikely.
The Ryder Cup will return to Europe in 2027 at the stunning Adare Manor - but who will Europe's captain be if Donald doesn't stay on?
In years gone by we thought the Ryder Cup captaincy was nailed on for the likes of Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer but joining LIV Golf and surrendering their DP World Tour memberships seem to have ruled them out for at least the time being.
So who could lead Europe next time out in Ireland? Here are some potential candidates...
Justin Rose
Justin Rose seems favorite for the job - but it may be a little too early.
The Englishman is the oldest player at the 2025 Ryder Cup but he is still competing at the highest level having won the FedEx St Jude Championship recently on the PGA Tour.
The 45-year-old is a US Open champion so is perhaps more suited to leading Europe on away soil at Hazeltine in 2029. Either way, it seems nailed on that Rose will one day captain Europe.
“I'm not sure there's ever a perfect time to be a Ryder Cup Captain. Because one, it's a little bit too early for you and you sacrifice your own golf, or unless, Keegan, you do it like Keegan," Rose said.
“Or then you leave it to late, you feel like you're hanging around and traveling more than you want to be at that point in your career. So I don't think there's a perfect time to do it.
“Should the question get asked, I'll obviously do my very best to consider it and make the right decision.”
Edoardo Molinari
The Italian is highly respected for his statistical knowledge and has a list of clients that include Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood and Nelly Korda.
The three-time DP World Tour winner has helped Europe both as a player, coming at Celtic Manor in 2010, and now twice as a vice-captain under Luke Donald in 2023 and 2025.
Molinari is very popular among his peers and is surely in consideration for the top job given his Ryder Cup experience and data experise despite not reaching the heights as a player as some other captains.
Francesco Molinari
Francesco Molinari will always be remembered for his incredible 5-0 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in 2018, where he and Tommy Fleetwood won all four doubles matches together.
He had a more esteemed career than his brother, with a Major win at the 2018 Open as well as a WGC, one other PGA Tour victory and five DP World Tour wins.
He has one more Ryder Cup appearance as a player than his brother as well as vice-captaincy experience so certainly fits the bill. He and Edoardo could almost act as dual captains, which might make for a very strong leadership team.
Alex Noren
The 12-time DP World Tour winner is another popular European who acts as a vice-captain to Luke Donald this year after winning as a player in his one and only appearance at Le Golf National in 2018.
Being a vice almost instantly puts you in consideration for the top job although Noren could still be a little too inexperienced in terms of the Ryder Cup to take the top job, however, with just one vice-captaincy and one appearance as a player under his belt.
Padraig Harrington
Harrington is another hugely popular European with plenty of Ryder Cup experience, notably as a captain at Whistling Straits in 2021 after six appearances for Europe as a player.
He oversaw a record defeat at the hands of a very strong USA side that week, but there are certainly a couple of mitigating factors with his captaincy being away from home and against a very partisan US crowd that lacked many travelling Europeans due to Covid-19.
As an Irishman on home soil, Harrington given a second crack at the captaincy could be one to think about.
Who do you think will be Europe's next captain? Let us know in the comment box below...
