Justin Rose responds when asked if he could be Europe’s Ryder Cup captain in 2027

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It is hard to imagine that the two years leading up to the 2025 Ryder Cup could have been more different for Luke Donald from the months before the previous event in Rome.

For starters, Luke Donald was not even the European captain when the previous Ryder Cup cycle began. And of course, he is now preparing for an away event, with Bethpage Black the site the world will be watching in late September.

It also seems that Donald is likely to go to New York with 11 of the players who triumphed at Marco Simone. The only rookie, Rasmus Hojgaard, was with the team in Italy to cheer on his twin brother and to get a feel of the event.

It will be fascinating to see whether Donald’s methods translate into success stateside. Clearly, he could have hardly done a better job in Rome. But winning an away Ryder Cup has become one of the toughest challenges at the very highest level of the game.

Justin Rose discusses the prospect of captaining Europe at the 2027 Ryder Cup

Whatever happens in New York, Donald will surely step aside for 2027. And with that, the question will be who will succeed the Englishman.

Obviously, the European team lost a number of likely candidates after they left to join LIV Golf. There is now a huge question mark over whether the likes of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson will ever get the chance.

Justin Rose continues to roll back the years on the PGA Tour. He took Rory McIlroy to a playoff at The Masters, while he won the FedEx St. Jude Championship earlier this month.

Rose will be 47 by the time the Ryder Cup heads to Adare Manor. So some may be anticipating that this year will see his swan song as a player in the Ryder Cup.

But Rose himself is not yet ready to rule anything out heading into 2027. Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, he spoke about the prospect of him succeeding Donald as Europe’s captain.

“It’s an interesting one. If we were to go back a couple of years and think about what’s the pipeline of European Ryder Cup captains, I felt like that was a potential thought process for sure – and it could well still be a potential thought process. 2027 still feels like a long time away. But I think all of us probably need to have a sit down afterwards and just understand what’s best for the team, because that’s the most important thing first and foremost,” he said.

“What I’ve learnt by watching and observing Luke is how much hard work it takes. The Ryder Cup captaincy doesn’t start in 2027, it pretty much starts some time in 2026, so yeah, you’re right, where’s my game going to be, how much commitment do I have, where are my priorities with that. To answer your question, it’s so nice that my name’s even being put in the conversation and in consideration, and obviously should the opportunity arise one day at the right time, absolutely I’d love to do the job. We shall see.”

The two standout candidates to captain Europe at Adare Manor

Unless a peace deal is agreed between LIV Golf and the DP World Tour, there are arguably two standout contenders to lead Europe in 2027.

Rose will almost certainly perform the role at some stage. But Francesco Molinari has also been a vice-captain during Donald’s tenure. The pair were also on opposing sides at the Team Cup.

Should Donald oversee another victory, you would imagine that Europe will look to keep the core of the team together, which would increase the likelihood of Rose or Molinari getting the call.

Having said that, you really cannot write off Rose’s chances of playing in 2027. He continues to play extremely well, and has embraced the role of the elder statesman since 2023.

He has won on the PGA Tour in 2025, while he has finished second in two of the last five majors. He remains a world-class performer.

It would be a lot easier for Team Europe if Rose was really playing like someone in the twilight of their career.

But it should not come as a surprise to anyone if Rose finds himself in the mix to make the team in 2027.