The appointment is at 13:20 on Thursday, local time in Antalya, Turkey, one hour ahead of mainland Spain. The chosen location is the 1st tee of the Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort, a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean Sea and with views of the island of Cyprus. As a special witness to the meeting will be the Chinese golfer Wenyi Ding, one of the most promising golfers on the world stage. The meeting in question is between Ángel Ayora and Luke Donald. Quite something.
The Ryder Cup captain wants to see the young golfer from Malaga first-hand. He has been following him for some time. For example, the Italian Edoardo Molinari, the Brit’s right-hand man, played with him in the first two rounds of the Omega European Masters in Switzerland last year. Things didn’t go very well for Ayora there, he missed the cut, but the vice-captain took note and noticed things that go far beyond the result. Shortly after, Molinari himself confirmed to TenGolf that his pairing with Ángel was no coincidence. He wanted to see him. He had just won his first tournament on the Challenge Tour.
Donald has been very attentive to Ayora’s progress in recent times. Just this year in Dubai, shortly before the Hero Dubai Desert Classic began, he exchanged a few words with the golfer from Marbella. He congratulated him on his magnificent performance at the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek and encouraged him to keep playing in the same way, doing things well.
Again, they met two weeks ago at the Zurich Classic, the pairs tournament on the PGA Tour. They didn’t play together, but they did share the week at TPC Louisiana. Ayora played with Alex del Rey and, although they didn’t make the cut, the reality is that he performed at a great level from tee to green. Although it may not seem like it, Donald sees everything. He has already demonstrated this in the past, as in the case of Ludvig Aberg in 2023.
Now it’s Ayora’s turn to deal with the added nerves of playing for the first time with Luke Donald. On one hand, it’s an extraordinary extra incentive for the week. On the other, it is undeniable that it is an additional pressure. In any case, that’s what they work and train for daily. There is no more tension for a professional than playing the Ryder Cup. It would be a mistake to take it as a life-or-death exam. It’s not about that. Deep down, it’s as simple as doing the same things he has been doing so far and for which he has caught the attention of the captain and his team. Forcing it would be a mistake. It’s about convincing himself that he must be doing something very good for Luke Donald to want to see him up close and with that, going out to play doing what he knows how to do, but with even more confidence.
By the way, Donald has made an effort to come to Turkey because, beyond sponsor considerations, he wants to see things. Only in this way can it be understood that he is playing this week in Antalya and next week in the PGA Championship in North Carolina. It is clear that the captain has his priorities very clear. The first is the Ryder, then comes his career.
