Share
Luke Donald will attempt to become the first captain to win three Ryder Cups in a row after his third term as European skipper was confirmed for next year's edition in Ireland.
The former world number one led Europe to victory in Rome in 2023 and then at Bethpage Black in New York last year.
Donald, 48, could now become the first captain to win the competition three times in a row should the European team retain the title back on home soil at Adare Manor in Ireland next year.
"The last two Ryder Cups have meant a lot to me and my family. I didn't imagine this third time would come," Donald said on the Ryder Cup website.
"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."
Donald is hugely popular among the European players and his attention to detail has been key to back-to-back Ryder Cup wins.
In the build-up to last year's event at Bethpage, where the crowd made it perhaps the most hostile Ryder Cup in history, Donald had his players prepare for the abuse by using VR headsets.
Months before the Ryder Cup, he even hired an American comedian to hurl insults at his players during a round to get used to that environment.
Donald was a player in the 2006 Ryder Cup in Ireland, so knows what to expect from the atmosphere when the Ryder Cup returns to the country next September.
“The Irish golf fans are some of the best in the world,” he said. “They are so passionate about the game, so hospitable and so down to earth. They will 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.
“Adare Manor is such a special place, such a beautiful place. JP McManus and his team have done an amazing job creating a world class venue and hotel. Hosting a Ryder Cup will be very special to them and they are going to make sure it is going to be one of the greatest Ryder Cups in the history of our beautiful trophy.”
