Knowing that Jon Rahm had decided to join LIV Golf was not the best birthday gift for Luke Donald, but it was not a huge surprise either. From the conversations he had recently had with the champion from Barrika, he could suspect it. “Jon had his reasons,” said the captain of the European Ryder team this Wednesday in the run-up to the Dubai Invitational in which he participates.
“We have exchanged some messages about the Ryder Cup, but I have not spoken to him personally about his reasons. I’m sure he has some very good ones. I’m not here to judge his decisions. But from my point of view, as long as he remains a member of the DP World Tour, he is eligible. I don’t think anything is going to change,” insisted Donald.
Although the truth is that things could change. As soon as Jon plays a tournament that directly conflicts with the DP World Tour, probably the LIV in Mexico next month, he will incur both a fine and a suspension. However, each case is judged independently by the executive director, Keith Pelley.
“The rules say that the player has to have been born in Europe and be a member of the DP World Tour“, said Donald about the current eligibility criteria for the Old Continent team. “I don’t see that changing. I have not specifically spoken with Keith about whether the fine structures will change in the future. But that depends on the player and what he wants to do. What I do know for sure is that, speaking with Jon, playing in the Ryder Cup in the future is very high on his priorities,” he insisted.
It is logical that there is some concern in Donald because if the three best players of any Ryder team are inspired, the chances of winning increase. The best example is last year’s edition in Rome, with Rahm, McIlroy and Hovland scoring 10.5 points without any of the three pairing with any of the others. It was the winning formula in the convincing European victory.
“You don’t win Ryder Cups if your superstars don’t play well,” said Donald. “Without those three guys playing at such a high level, we probably wouldn’t win. So you need your superstars to play great, and Jon is a superstar of the game. It would be a tough blow if he wasn’t on the Ryder Cup 2025 team at Bethpage Black,” commented Donald.
As for the venue of the next edition of the biennial competition, Donald is aware that repeating Europe‘s victory over United States will be much more difficult on foreign soil. Playing in front of a fervent New York audience on a course prepared by whoever assumes the US captaincy will not be to his liking. That doesn’t mean that Donald has thought too much about this issue. But the feeling is that he will soon.
“I have to find a way to turn the crowd into something positive, whether it’s mentally, with a hypnotist or with cotton in my ears,” he reflects. “I don’t know. And the course? We will have to wait for the team to start taking shape and see what their strengths are. Maybe that will influence my choices. It’s about trying to find small advantages where there may be disadvantages,” he detailed.
“Otherwise, I have some ideas and things in my head, but I don’t have too many urgent matters,” continued Donald. “Tomorrow I have a call to talk about the clothes, so there are things that still require my attention. But it’s a bit early to think about the qualification system or my vice-captains. In the coming weeks I will see four of the five who were under my command in Italy. I will sit down to chat with them to see where their heads are and what their feelings are. But there is no rush,” he added.
As for his own game, Donald believes he will play more in Europe than in the United States in the coming months. His need for invitations to PGA Tour tournaments means he will probably take advantage of his status as a former champion on his home circuit.
“One of the good things is that I can play with potential players,” he said with a smile. “It’s nice to watch them and see how they perform when they play with me. At the same time, when it’s my turn to hit the ball, I’m totally immersed in my shot. Which is not so easy at my age. I don’t have the level of expectations I had, let’s say, 10 years ago,” he concluded.
