Luke Donald has been named as the European Captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York.
The 45-year-old Englishman returns to the role having led Europe to a 16½ – 11½ victory against the United States in the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy, earlier this year.
He will become Europe’s first repeat captain since Bernard Gallacher performed the role in three consecutive Ryder Cups in 1991, 1993 and 1995.
Donald will be aiming to become only the second captain to lead Europe to victories both home and away, following Tony Jacklin, who achieved the double at Muirfield Village in Ohio in 1987, retaining the Ryder Cup following his team’s victory two years previously at The Belfry, in England, in 1985.
“Great opportunities don’t come along very often in life, and I’m a great believer that when they do, you need to grab them with both hands – this is one of these moments,” Donald said. “I’ve been fortunate as a player to have had many amazing times in the Ryder Cup over the years and so to add being a winning Captain to that, to form bonds with the 12 players like we did in Italy and to get the result we did, was very special indeed.
“The Ryder Cup means so much to me, so to be Captain again and have the chance to create more history by becoming only the second European Captain to win back-to-back is exciting.
“There is no question that being a Captain away from home is a tough task. 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.”
Initially, Donald was overlooked as 2023 Ryder Cup captain as Europe selected Sweden’s Henrik Stenson for the job, but Stenson was stripped of the honor when he bolted for LIV Golf, the upstart league. Donald was the second choice then, but he’s clearly the first choice now, and Team Europe decided not to wait to see whether any of the European players who departed for LIV and had previously appeared to be in the pipeline for captaincy, such as Lee Westwood or Ian Poulter, would return to the fold.
Donald was a member of the last European Team to win on American soil at Medinah Country Club in 2012, when he led Jose Maria Olazabal’s side out in the singles, securing the first blue point on the board in one of the most famous comebacks in the history of the biennial contest.
During his playing career, he represented Europe in the Ryder Cup four times as a player, being part of a winning team on all four occasions, contributing 10½ points from his 15 matches.
He then served as a vice captain in 2018, under Thomas Bjorn, and Padraig Harrington in 2021, before becoming captain for the first time at the 2023 contest in Rome.
Donald has won five times on the PGA Tour and another eight times on the DP World Tour and ascended to No. 1 in the world for a total of 56 weeks. In 2011, he became the first player in history to top the money lists on the European Tour (now the DP World Tour) and the PGA Tour in the same year.
“I have had a nice individual career; I have accomplished a significant amount as a player. My most special moments have been in The Ryder Cup editions, and being able to share that in a team atmosphere,” Donald said. “[Being captain] felt like a lifetime achievement award when I found out that I was given the honor and privilege to be nominated as captain. It is something that I do not 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 is a big responsibility but I am going to try and enjoy the journey.”
