Report: Surprise player in line to be Europe's next Ryder Cup captain

The pressure is going to be high at next year’s Ryder Cup in Rome, especially for Team Europe. Coming off a devastating loss to the American squad last fall at Whistling Straits, the Europeans are desperate to reclaim the Cup. And, if a recent report is true, they’re turning to surprise player to lead the team back to the winner’s circle.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, former World No. 1 Luke Donald is in line to be named as the next European Ryder Cup captain. The exclusive report claims that 2020 captain Padraig Harrington, a key member of the five-man committee that chooses Europe’s captain, has given “a ringing endorsement” to Donald’s potential captaincy.

Many believed fellow Englishman and Ryder Cup stalwart Lee Westwood would get the captain’s nod for 2023, but the Daily Mail reports that Westwood passed on the opportunity.

Though he has fallen in the rankings in recent years, the 44-year-old Donald made history in 2011, becoming the first player to win the PGA Tour and European Tour money titles in the same year. He won two events on each Tour, and briefly ascended to the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Donald has played on four Ryder Cup teams (2004, 2006, 2010, 2012), all of which resulted in European wins. He previously served as vice captain at the last two Ryder Cups.

Donald’s selection is far from official, and the same goes for the U.S. team, who have yet to announce their captain for Rome.

Golf.com Editor

As managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes stories on GOLF.com, and manages the brand’s e-newsletters, which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month. A former two-time intern, he also helps keep GOLF.com humming outside the news-breaking stories and service content provided by our reporters and writers, and works with the tech team in the development of new products and innovative ways to deliver an engaging site to our audience.