It was not only the manner of the 2023 victory which made Luke Donald the best candidate to lead Europe at Bethpage at the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Luke Donald has rightly been lauded for the job he did at the 2023 Ryder Cup. Donald stepped into the role with just a year to go after Henrik Stenson‘s move to LIV Golf. And it was notable how many of the European players were cheering for Donald to stay on for two more years before he had even lifted the trophy at Marco Simone.
But Donald staying on also made perfect sense because Europe lost a number of their future captains after their moves to LIV Golf.
It is hard to see Donald doing it again beyond Bethpage. With that, here is a look at the five names who may perhaps get the chance to lead Europe from 2027.
Predicting the next five European Ryder Cup captains
2027 – Justin Rose
Justin Rose was the veteran of the 2023 team, playing extremely well alongside Robert MacIntyre on his Ryder Cup debut. The Englishman will be hoping to make his seventh appearance in the event at Bethpage, but he will be 47 by the time the event heads to Adare Manor. His career on the PGA Tour also makes him a good candidate for 2029 at Hazeltine.
2029 – Francesco Molinari
There are so many questions to be answered before the 2029 Ryder Cup. Hopefully, golf fans are not still waiting for a deal to be agreed between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. But given that the 2029 captain will probably be announced in 2027, someone like Francesco Molinari will represent a safe bet.
The Italian won five points from five at the 2018 Ryder Cup, while he also became a major champion that year. His brother Edoardo also turns out to be the statistics guru who played such a key role in 2023.
Elsewhere, Lee Westwood may be a contender if the game has come back together. He would become Europe’s oldest captain since 1981 if he led the team in 2029.
2031 – Sergio Garcia
If there is one obvious pick for this list, it is surely Sergio Garcia captaining Europe at the 2031 Ryder Cup – which looks set to be held at Camiral Golf and Wellness. Garcia is in contention to play at the 2025 Ryder Cup, despite joining LIV. So it seems very possible that the all-time leading points scorer will captain the team at some stage.
Seve Ballesteros led Europe to victory at Valderrama in 1997, so it would be fitting if Garcia followed in his footsteps in 2031.
Meanwhile, Jon Rahm will be 37 at that Ryder Cup – which could be significant if Europe decide to emulate USA’s call of naming Keegan Bradley as captain.
2033 – Ian Poulter
For European fans, perhaps the most disappointing defection to LIV came from Ian Poulter, with many aware that his Ryder Cup career was probably over.
Poulter sparked the Miracle at Medinah, while he also won four points in 2008. Had he not moved, he would have been a certainty to captain the team at some stage. And with the game – gradually – coming back together, it seems possible that he will back involved by the time the Ryder Cup heads to Olympic Club.
2035 – Rory McIlroy
In truth, it seems entirely plausible that Rory McIlroy will still be playing on the European Ryder Cup team by 2035. He will be 46 at that time. So while he may no longer be the talisman by that time, he could still have a role to play in the manner Jose Maria Olazabal did in 2006.
However, that would mean McIlroy will have been playing at an insanely high level for nearly 30 years – which is virtually unheard of in this era.
It remains to be seen which venue is awarded the 2035 Ryder Cup, but if it ends up at one of the great European courses, then it would be fitting if McIlroy got the chance to captain the team.
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