DETROIT – Luke Donald received a few more messages than usual on his phone after finishing his first round at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
He wasn’t to be congratulated on posting a solid 2-under 70 at Detroit Golf Club.
Instead, it had to do with a report that the 44-year-old Englishman will be appointed to replace Henrik Stenson as captain of the European team in the 2023 Italian Ryder Cup, according to the Telegraph.
“There is nothing official to report,” Donald said. “I have been in talks with Guy (Kinnings, Ryder Cup director) on the European Tour. And that’s all I know right now. I know I have a very good chance, Thomas Bjorn and a couple of other guys are under consideration.”
In March, when Stenson was initially cast in the role, Donald was perceived as the maid of honor..
“I thought I had a good chance this year. Hopefully, that’s not my missed opportunity,” Donald said at the time. “We have a lot of very worthy candidates, Ryder Cup legends, guys like Sergio, I don’t know how this whole Saudi thing will play out and if anyone will be eliminated because of it. That’s a bit like a question mark.”
It turned out to be a bigger question mark than anyone thought when Stenson changed course and joined LIV Golf, the rival tour backed by Saudi Arabian royalty and mired in controversy over a poor record of human rights abuses and other atrocities in that country. Stenson, who is making his LIV debut this week, was fired two weeks ago. Donald said he was surprised by Stenson’s change in attitude.
“I’ve certainly had some of my best moments on the golf course in the Ryder Cups. What an honor it is to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup, and I would love to be captain. That would also be a great honor,” said Donald. “I was surprised that he put his name up front if his plan was to go to LIV, which, you know, the rumours, and I hate to talk about rumours, but the rumors are that he had been in contact with the rival tours. , whatever they were, and he was very interested. And I think everyone knew it, the European Tour knew it. They obviously took his word that he wasn’t going to do it. We all have to sign a clause or contract saying that we are not going to have anything to do with (LIV). I’m disappointed, I guess he would put his name on it and then go to LIV. I understand certain guys going to LIV, in certain situations in their careers and stuff, that makes sense. But obviously something big to give up.”
Donald said the LIV concept was intriguing and everyone has a number, but he hadn’t been pitched to play in the 48-player league. He had been asked about joining the TV announcers team.
“I rejected that pretty quickly,” he said. “A little snub in my game. I know I haven’t played that well, but thanks but no thanks.”
Donald said he was told the decision on the Europe team captain would be announced early next week. He would be the first Englishman since Nick Faldo in 2008 to hold the non-player position.
“If I got this captaincy, I would keep my word and I would keep it,” he said. “Let me put it that way. I wouldn’t be doing a Henrik.”
Donald, a four-time Ryder Cup player (2004, 2006, 2010, 2012), five-time PGA Tour winner and six-time DP World Tour winner who played college golf at Northwestern, gave a 30-minute presentation to the three captains most recent Ryder Cup events, Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn and Padraig Harrington, as well as DP World Tour tournament committee chairman David Howell and DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley earlier this year. He said that he did not have to make a second presentation. Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, Scotland’s Paul Lawrie and Italy’s Edouardo Molinari were the other finalists in March.
A former World No. 1, Donald has served as vice-captain at the last two Ryder Cups and has called Rome, home to host site Marco Simone Golf Club, one of his and his wife’s favorite cities.
“We’ve been many times,” he said. “Beautiful city, architecture and history of things you can go see it is one of my favorite places to visit.”
Perhaps at the end of September 2023.