Luke Donald admits he’s doesn’t know whether he has come down from his Ryder Cup high.
Donald is set to tee it up for the first time since guiding Team Europe to victory three weeks ago at Bethpage Black in New York. He’s in the field at the DP World India Championship along with Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and numerous other big names in Asia. But his mind is still processing the win and everything that went into it.
“It happened after Rome, and it’s kind of the same with this one,” Donald said. “The captaincy really does — the lead-up to the Ryder Cup, you’re spending five or six weeks just thinking about all kinds of different things, partnerships, pairings, the golf course, the gifting. There’s just so much that goes into it that your mind is kind of clogged. I’ve had many nights where I’ve woken up with Ryder Cup dreams and things where I had forgotten my radio one night and there’s still one game out on the course and I was panicking and I was trying to get to the game. Just things like that. It just takes a little bit of time for you to settle down.
“I think actually coming here, playing a tournament will actually help. It will get my mind more back on what I need to do this week. It’s a fun problem to have after a win in the Ryder Cup, but I’m excited to get back to playing.”
Donald, now 47, hasn’t played as much golf this year as he prepared to lead the Europeans. The former world No. 1 has played only twice in the last four months, his last start a MC at the BMW PGA Championship. He still believes he can put together four good rounds and win a tournament, though he admits his expectations have changed in the last few years.
But the conversations around Donald in the last couple years have changed. In terms of the Ryder Cup, he’s considered one of the best captains all-time in the competition. Opposing skipper Keegan Bradley called him the best Euro captain ever.
After a dominant showing in Rome, Team Europe players chanted “two more years” during the post tournament press conference. In New York, players did the same thing. Donald could only drop his head and smile.
Does he wants to come back for a third time?
“I’m trying to still enjoy this one,” Donald said. “Whether it be a captain or whether I’m not a captain. If I’m not a captain in two years’ time and the captain wants me to be there, then I’m sure I would be happy to help him in any way he wanted.
“Yeah, it’s pretty humbling when someone says you’re the greatest captain. Maybe it’s a little bit of a reaction in the present moment, but I certainly, I’ve given a lot to it. I’m very happy with the results that came with it, but you need those 12 players. You need the back room teams. You need the vice captains. You need so many others to make that happen. Certainly I play a role, but I play a small role in terms of a larger picture. I certainly couldn’t do it without the amazing support we have behind me.”
Donald joined Tony Jacklin as the only Euro captains to win two Ryder Cups. Jacklin captained the Euros four times, going 2-1-1.
But will Donald return in 2027? It’s hard to envision him not being a part of Team Europe, whether as captain for the third time or as a vice captain.
