Luke Donald proved himself as one of the greatest Ryder Cup captains ever at Bethpage Black last month.
Donald had already led Europe to a dominant victory in Rome two years ago before winning again as underdogs in New York.
Many Europeans want the Englishman to agree to a third spell, but he has not yet decided whether he is up for the challenge.
An interesting option that has been touted recently is that Rory McIlroy could become a playing captain, like Keegan Bradley almost was at Bethpage Black.
Donald has now shared his thoughts on whether McIlroy has what it takes to succeed as a Ryder Cup captain.
Luke Donald backs Rory McIlroy to be a good future Ryder Cup captain
Luke Donald spoke at length about the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in his press conference before the DP World Tour India Championship.
Donald was asked whether McIlroy would make a good Ryder Cup captain, in which he showed confidence in the Grand Slam champion.
He explained that the most important trait in a captain is passion for the competition, something McIlroy has in abundance.
“Well, just the fact that he loves the Ryder Cup more than anything,” Donald said. “He made it quite evident that winning an away Ryder Cup would really be the icing on an amazing year that he has had this year.
“Yeah, he loves what it represents. You’ve seen the emotion from losing to winning. Anyone who has that passion for a Ryder Cup, I think, would make a good captain.”
It seems highly likely that McIlroy will captain Europe one day, but the chances of him doing it at Adare Manor are slim to none.
How Rory McIlroy feels about becoming a playing captain for Europe at the Ryder Cup
Rory McIlroy spoke about the challenges of being a playing captain at the Ryder Cup in August, when Keegan Bradley was still debating whether to do it.
The Northern Irishman revealed that he had already “shut down” the idea of him taking on both roles in the foreseeable future.
“If you’d have said it 20 years ago, I’d say, yeah, it was probably possible to do, but how big of a spectacle and everything that’s on the line in a Ryder Cup now, I just think it would be a very difficult position to be in,” McIlroy explained.
“Then the captain isn’t going to be on the course all day, so really the captain’s only going to be able to play one session on Friday, one session on Saturday. Would you rather not have a player who has the flexibility to go twice if he’s playing well?
“There are a lot of different things that go into it, and that’s why I think… look, it’s just my opinion, but I think it would just be very difficult to do.”
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