Luke Donald is playing in the British Masters this week, although his performance will be the least of it. His focus is now one hundred percent on the Ryder Cup and those six picks he will have to make in two weeks’ time at the conclusion of the Omega European Masters. The European captain appeared before journalists this Wednesday, just over a month before the big event at Bethpage. He spoke about everything very clearly. He explained the team’s plans, referred to the controversy with Harry Hall, talked about Sergio García‘s chances, the atmosphere expected in New York, and how the team is shaping up. He exudes calmness, confidence, and security. He is a leader in every sense of the word.
The former World Number One reminded everyone that practically anyone still has time to make it onto the team. He explained it in a very graphic way. “If I play well this week, who knows, I might find myself in the same situation as Keegan Bradley,” he joked when asked about the dilemma the American captain is in regarding his possible selection. It’s a way of saying that these two weeks are going to be very important for the selections, whatever those that are still not secure may be.
“I’m very happy with how things are developing. I think we started strongly with what we saw in the US in recent weeks. Every time I turn on the TV, I see several Europeans playing well: Justin (Rose), for example, won a couple of weeks ago; Tommy (Fleetwood) was close on many occasions and is playing very well, and the list goes on. Obviously, I’m excited about the five who are already qualified. There are several more who continue to perform very well: the Viktors (Hovland), Ludvig (Aberg), Sepp (Straka), Shane (Lowry), and Fitzpatrick are in good form. There are also others pushing to get in, like Marco, who had a tremendous performance last week, showed control, even with a challenging atmosphere. Harry Hall is playing very well. There are many others who remain on the radar. It always happens in the Ryder Cup: players make a final push to get in, and although it’s a headache in terms of how many deserve it, it’s a good problem. It’s a good opportunity to assess all these players and how much they want to be on the team. I’m eager to see what happens in the coming weeks,” he explained. You can see he hasn’t mentioned Jon Rahm at any point, but don’t worry, it simply means he’s a sure thing for the team.
One of the key names in recent hours regarding the European team has been Harry Hall. Donald didn’t let the journalist finish the question when he referred to the Englishman. Points on the i’s with maximum elegance. “Yes, about Harry… We’ve talked many times since the end of last year and I invited him to play the Team Cup. He preferred to focus on the US and establish himself there, which was reasonable. We dined a couple of times. I wrote to him and spoke a lot, even after the Scottish Open. We played together in the Scottish and he was also at the players’ barbecue, I sent him messages and called him even last week. He knows exactly where he stands. He knows he’s playing well. I’ve been in contact, and I think there was a misunderstanding of what he said.” Matter settled. The one who ends up in a bad light for fueling the controversy, probably without that being his main intention, is the player.
He also spoke specifically about Sergio García. He will need to have an outstanding week in the LIV Golf team final to have any chance. “Sergio and I have talked many times. His form since Augusta has improved a bit, but I know he himself said at the PGA: ‘even if they picked me, I probably wouldn’t accept. I’m not playing well.’ His legacy in the Ryder is important, but he needs more performance, especially this week.”
Similarly, he clarified three important issues: what happens if Keegan Bradley ends up playing, when they will visit Bethpage, how to deal with the hostility of the crowd, and what importance the Wentworth tournament will have.
Regarding Keegan Bradley… “From the start, they said they had a plan for that. Logistically they have it sorted. It’s a decision he has to make. We are great friends and I’m sure he would like to play. Now he is considering that. The DP World Tour reviewed the captains’ agreement and we talked about it in Turkey: if Keegan plays, he could hand over the captaincy to a vice-captain. And that’s reasonable. We did something similar in the Team Cup: Justin and Tommy, when they come off the field, take on the role of captains. It’s something easy to agree on. He can only appoint a vice-captain as captain.”
The importance of Wentworth… “Many already defined will go to Wentworth and we talked with some of the team. Most will be there. It’s good to be in competition rhythm and reach your best level. I’m glad for the rest they will have just before the Ryder.”
The visit to Bethpage… “We will go to Bethpage to do practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday after Wentworth. On Monday we will play 9 holes and on Tuesday it will be 18. Some will stay there already. I will stay at my house in the United States. More comfortable for the jet lag.”
The strategy to mitigate the hostility of the crowd… “I will have those conversations when we define the team. I have already spoken with some to prepare them for that intense atmosphere. I’ve been thinking about it since I took on the captaincy. It will be a challenge how we respond to the pressure of the crowd. Less is more, you have to know how to take advantage of it. I have a great team behind me advising me. I’ve read a lot, but I’m not going to reveal all the details of my preparation; I’ll keep it for after the Ryder. But I think, as I said, we are in a good place.”
