You can say it louder (or not so much), but not clearer. From the very moment Tyrrell Hatton holed his par putt on the 18th hole at Bethpage to seal the absolute victory in the Ryder Cup, Europe has been in an uproar. Fans, family, collaborators, caddies, and the players, especially the players, have been shouting at the top of their lungs: “Two more years!”. Even in the press conference following the victory, they resumed the chant under the leadership of Jon Rahm while banging on the tables.
And what does that “two more years!” mean? Well, it’s incredibly simple. They are asking Luke Donald to be captain again at the Ryder Cup in Ireland in 2027 at Adare Manor. It would be the third consecutive time. Remember, he started in Rome, taking over halfway from Henrik Stenson, who chose to give up the captaincy in exchange for the petrodollars of LIV Golf, and continued at Bethpage, once again under the acclaim of all Europe. Now everyone wants to see him for two more years. He would be the first captain to link three Ryder Cups since the Scotsman Bernard Gallacher, who was in 1991, 1993, and 1995. Interestingly, Gallacher lost the first two and won the third.
“My answer is that I’m going to enjoy tonight,” Donald assured with a sly smile while his players sang the new slogan in unison in the Bethpage press room. Really, it seems he’s not sure. There’s a part of him that pushes him to continue because he has thoroughly enjoyed this journey. At the same time, it has been tremendously exhausting. “I don’t know if my heart could take it,” he joked shortly before receiving the Ryder Cup on the same 18th green. The issue is that he’s not sure it’s the best thing for the team. First, he wants to answer a big question: Do I have enough energy to do this job with the same dedication and attention to the smallest detail for two more years? There’s no doubt they’re going to try to convince him, among other things because after Luke Donald there’s no list of candidates knocking on the door to take over. Really, his natural successor is Justin Rose, and the Englishman wants to do it, but for now, he still thinks more like a player than anything else. He wouldn’t mind at all waiting two more years for his turn.
When we write about attention to the smallest detail, don’t think it’s just a way of speaking or an exaggeration. Luke Donald himself explained it with the Ryder Cup still warm on the table. We reproduce the improvised conversation that took place around this matter in the same press room so you can perceive the consideration the players have towards his figure and the chemistry:
– LUKE DONALD: My job is, literally, to give these guys the best chance to win. It can be as simple as very small things. For example: in the hotel rooms this week, the doors had a large slot through which light came in. We brought items to block that light. We put different shampoos that smelled better. We had…
– RORY McILROY (interrupts): Le Labo (the shampoo), in case anyone’s wondering. Very, very good (laughter).
– LUKE DONALD (continues): We changed the bedding because the beds weren’t very good, they only had sheets, and we made much nicer beds for the guys to sleep in. So they had more energy. They’re just small things. I’m getting into very small details.
– JON RAHM: And there were snacks for everyone.
– SHANE LOWRY: We won’t need to change the bedding at Adare Manor (Ryder Cup 2027); I’m telling you.
– LUKE DONALD: No, 1,500 a night (referring to the price of the room at this top luxury hotel complex).
Jon Rahm was the first to ask for the microphone to talk about the captain and his work. Again, we reflect the full conversation, with its interruptions…
– JON RAHM: There are so many things Luke has done extraordinarily professionally, so perfectly, that it’s hard to name one. Without going into too much detail, the level of professionalism he has shown us these last four years, his attention to the small things in his role and his knowledge of the Ryder Cup and the game and what we do on the field day after day is what has made these last two Ryder Cups possible. He is the captain of this ship and has led us better than I can imagine anyone else doing. He has set the bar very high for future captains.
– LUKE DONALD: You just need to have 12 good ones.
– RORY McILROY: No, it’s more than that. His communication skills…
– SHANE LOWRY: Let’s not spoil everything; what do you think?
– RORY McILROY: I’ll shut up.
– ROBERT MacINTYRE: Leave it, Rory. Leave it.
– JUSTIN ROSE: The most inspiring thing is seeing how he has also grown as a leader.
– RORY McILROY: Yes.
– JUSTIN ROSE: I think that, over four years, there has been an even greater commitment to himself and the team. It’s been incredible to witness.
– JON RAHM: Two more years.
– SHANE LOWRY: Let’s do it again in Ireland (laughter).
– LUKE DONALD: No comment.
All this exchange arose spontaneously and completely naturally. It’s the connection. More seriously, Donald wanted to explain how he understands the Ryder Cup captaincy. “It’s about dedicating the time and having the love to do everything possible to give these guys the best opportunity. Create an environment where they can succeed. They are 12 incredible players, we know that. You try to put them in a position where they feel comfortable. I have truly committed to this job because I feel I owe it to the players and I owe it to the Ryder Cup, which has been so special to me. I’ve had incredible experiences. I’ve had to put aside my own game and every day I try to think of things that could help us, come up with different things that give us a small advantage. We came to New York knowing that New York wasn’t going to be easy. It was tough. At times it was brutal out there. Really. Sometimes, unpleasant. But I think when you prepare these guys enough and communicate enough with them and give them a plan and an idea and a motto it generates team cohesion. I was very lucky to have 11 of the same from Rome…
– RORY McILROY: And brother! (The players cheer and bang the table).
And Luke added: “What makes me proud as a leader is the cohesion we have, the unity we have. It makes organising pairings quite easy because everyone has each other’s backs. If I approach and say: “What do you think of this?”, they say: “I trust you, Luke. Let’s go with it”.
So there you have it: “Two more years”.
