{"id":1041339,"date":"2025-11-07T15:39:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T20:39:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/sports\/?p=1041339"},"modified":"2025-11-07T15:39:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T20:39:06","slug":"luke-donald-and-francesco-molinari-weigh-in-on-next-european-ryder-cup-captain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/sports\/luke-donald-and-francesco-molinari-weigh-in-on-next-european-ryder-cup-captain\/","title":{"rendered":"Luke Donald and Francesco Molinari weigh in on next European Ryder Cup captain"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOS CABOS, Mexico \u2013 Luke Donald is still enjoying the afterglow of becoming a two-time victorious Ryder Cup captain after Team Europe did just enough in Sunday singles at Bethpage Black to secure a 15-13 victory<\/a> at the biennial competition.<\/p>\n

Donald, who turns 48 next month, became the first captain since Tony Jacklin, who served as European Ryder Cup captain from 1983-1989, to win back-to-back. It didn\u2019t take long for the question to be asked if he\u2019d be willing to do a third tour of duty, and so far Donald has been very close to the vest with his responses.<\/p>\n

That didn\u2019t change too much when Donald spoke to Golfweek <\/em>after shooting 4-under 68 on Thursday at El Cardonal at Diamante in the opening round of the World Wide Technology Championship<\/a>, but he did give a window into his thought process and some clues into which way he may be leaning. At the very least, he gave some excellent material for those of us that enjoy trying to parse his every word.<\/p>\n

\u201cI take time to think these things through. I don\u2019t think there is any rush. I still want to enjoy this one,\u201d said Donald, noting that he chatted a bit with DP World Tour and Ryder Cup Europe CEO Guy Kinnings in India a few weeks ago. \u201cAfter this week, I have a little downtime and will chat with some people and see where we are.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

When Donald was asked to explain why he wouldn\u2019t want to remain captain again, he offered his most insightful answer to date as to the deliberations that are just beginning before he hands down his verdict.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I have climbed the mountain so to speak and I certainly have nothing left to prove. I love what it represents and am thankful for the opportunity to do it,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I do it again I will probably put a hard cut that I won\u2019t do it a fourth time. I do want to play Champions Tour in two years. Timing-wise, it does work. I have to talk to my family and whether it takes too much time away from them. That\u2019s a possible reason [to turn down the captaincy], and whether someone else is better suited for the job. It wouldn\u2019t be from a fear of losing. If you approach anything in golf like that you\u2019re never going to get too far ahead. I\u2019m a big believer in taking opportunities when they come your way and I\u2019ve taken these last two by the scruff of its neck and done very well. I have to think things through a little more. That\u2019s kind of my personality.\u201d<\/p>\n

If not Donald then who? Northern Ireland\u2019s Graeme McDowell, 46, in an interview with Bunkered.com, already has publicly said he would like the job<\/a> at Ireland\u2019s Adare Manor, the host venue in 2027. He has his share of Ryder heroics and served as a vice captain on previous teams before leaving for LIV and giving up his DP World Tour membership, which could prove problematic for his chances. Henrik Stenson was relieved of his captain’s duties when he jumped to LIV and none of the other European Ryder Cup stalwarts \u2014 Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter \u2014 who play on LIV have been involved in the team room either since their departure. According to a report from Jamie Corrigan in The Telegraph<\/a>, England\u2019s Justin Rose, who has been a Ryder Cup stud for Europe, has pulled his name from the discussion because he would like to make a run at making the team in 2027 at age 47.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand that viewpoint if that\u2019s what he is thinking,\u201d Donald said of Rose, noting they had not talked about the captaincy. \u201cStatistically, he was our best player at Bethpage. Why wouldn\u2019t he think he can\u2019t keep doing that? It\u2019s very hard to be a captain and keep playing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Italy\u2019s Francesco Molinari, 42, the 2018 British Open champion and the hero of Paris that same year when he was undefeated, served as one of Donald\u2019s vice captains this year and certainly has the pedigree. Just don\u2019t expect him to campaign for the job.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like it\u2019s out of my hands, to be honest,\u201d Francesco said after shooting 65 at WWT. \u201cI\u2019d be honored to do it. I\u2019m not going to waste too much energy thinking about it. If I get asked, I\u2019d love to do it. First, we have to see what Luke wants to do. We\u2019d all love to see him come back. Let\u2019s see what he does.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Another viable option could be Molinari\u2019s older brother Edoardo, 44, who has been Donald\u2019s loyal sidekick at the last two Ryder Cups as a vice captain and credited for much of the data analytics work that has helped Europe be successful. Francesco said he and his brother haven\u2019t talked about the captaincy, and added, \u201cWe both were very happy to be involved in any capacity with the team. To be honest, he\u2019s probably happy to do the things he\u2019s doing, which is the stuff he loves, without the stress and extra things that Luke has been doing the last four years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Could the brothers Molinari serve as the Ryder Cups first co-captains? Francesco chuckled at the suggestion when it was proposed to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m struggling to think how that would work,\u201d he said. \u201cIn any scenario if he was captain and I was his vice captain, or vice versa, I\u2019m sure we\u2019d end up talking a lot and making a lot of the decisions together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working in Francesco\u2019s favor could be his decision to play more on the DP World Tour next season \u2013 he moved back to Italy a few years ago after setting up shop in Southern California \u2013 after concentrating primarily on the PGA Tour in recent years. Unless he makes a late run in the final three PGA Tour FedEx Cup Fall events to make the top 100, he will have limited status as a past champion. But Francesco reiterated that the best-case scenario would be Donald re-upping for a third term and attempting to become the first captain in Ryder Cup history to win three cups in a row (Jacklin’s team retained the Cup in 1989 with a 14-14 draw).<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone who has been involved the last four years would love to see him come back,\u201d Francesco said. \u201cWhen he does stop, it will lead a big gap, a big void to fill. It won\u2019t be easy. It\u2019s in everyone\u2019s interest for him to come back one more time.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Luke Donald discusses doing a third term as European Ryder Cup captain<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u200bhttps:\/\/golfweek.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/golf\/ryder-cup\/2025\/11\/07\/luke-donald-discusses-third-term-european-ryder-cup-captain\/87144642007\/<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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