Luke Donald named European Ryder Cup captain in 2027

Luke Donald (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)

The European Team at the 2027 Ryder Cup will have a familiar captain. On Wednesday it was announced that Luke Donald of Hemel Hempstead, England would return as captain after leading the Europeans to the 2023 and 2025 Ryder Cup titles.

Donald will look to be the very first European captain to win three consecutive Ryder Cups. It should be noted that Tony Jacklin of Scunthorpe, England captained Europe to the 1985 and 1987 Ryder Cups, and then helped Europe retain the 1989 Ryder Cup when the United States and Europe tied at 14 points apiece.

What we have seen at the last two Ryder Cups have been convincing wins for Europe. In Italy three years ago, Europe came through with a dominant 16.5 to 11.5 win in Lazio, Italy. Even though Europe won the 2025 Ryder Cup by only two points (15-13), the Europeans were in complete control of the tournament heading into Sunday, as they had a commanding 11.5 to 4.5 lead after the first two days. 

Having Donald on board has the support of one of Europe’s top players in Northern Ireland’s Rory McIroy. On Wednesday according to Sky Sports, McIlroy stated “with Luke Donald as captain, Europe have huge advantage in Ryder Cup.”

So what does Donald bring to the table? Well, he is a former world number one who has a presence in Europe and the United States. He went to Northwestern University in Illinois, and continues to make his home in Illinois. Donald also is a former world number one, won six times on the European Tour, four times on the PGA Tour, and won the 2011 World Matchplay Championship.