Every single European Ryder Cup fan will be praying that Luke Donald decides to return for a third spell in charge of the team.
Adare Manor will host the Ryder Cup in 2027, and if Donald captains the Europeans again, he will have the chance to become the only captain in history to win on three successive occasions
However, is the Englishman returning to the role for a third straight time a feasible possibility?
Donald got every key decision right at the Ryder Cup in September at Bethpage Black.
Many golf fans claimed that the Europeans were already one up after the captains speeches, when Donald produced a masterclass at the Ryder Cup ceremony in comparison to Keegan Bradley’s nervy attempt.
The 47-year-old oozed class throughout the entire event, just like he did back at Marco Simone in 2023.
Now all that remains to be seen is whether or not he returns to the captaincy role for a third time.
Whether Luke Donald could be Ryder Cup captain again in 2027
American golf fans will most likely be hoping that Donald decides to call it quits.
The Englishman is quite clearly one of the best Ryder Cup captains in the history of the game, if not the best.
Will we see him back in charge of the European team at Adare Manor in two years’ time, though?
According to a report from British publication The Telegraph, a high-ranking executive from the DP World Tour has spoken to Donald about potentially taking the reins for a third time in Ireland.
“It is understood that a high-ranking executive spoke to Donald about staying on at last month’s Indian Championship and, after it was initially believed that he was almost certain to walk away, there was encouragement that at least he was prepared to talk about the possibility.
“However, the hostile encounter in New York – as Europe became the first team to prevail on away soil in 13 years – took it out of the 47-year-old and a contingency is plainly required. There is no set date for an appointment but sources indicate that they would not be prepared to wait until after the season’s first major in April.“
The good news for European golf fans is that Donald at least seems open to the idea of returning for a third stint as captain.
Leading candidates aside from Luke Donald for the 2027 European Ryder Cup captaincy
Justin Rose has apparently withdrawn his name from contention for the 2027 Ryder Cup captaincy, clearly because he still fancies his chances of making the team.
The two front-runners are believed to be the Molinari brothers – Francesco and Edoardo.
Donald is still in the running, of course, and it will be up to him whether he fancies another crack of the whip.
LIV golfer Graeme McDowell threw his hat in the mix but his chances are slim to none.
Europe obviously can’t go wrong by appointing Luke Donald once again, but either of the Molinari brothers would be very strong selections as well.
Team Europe could be set for a further period of dominance at the Ryder Cup.
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