Luke Donald: The secret of Europe's special Ryder Cup captain

Luke Donald is key to Europe winning the 2025 Ryder Cup thanks to his attention to detail, including choosing… shampoo for golfers.

The special captain

“Two more years!” shouted Jon Rahm , sitting in the lower right corner of a stage with two tables and 13 chairs. It was the 2025 Ryder Cup winning team press conference in New York, where Europe celebrated a historic 15-13 victory over the hosts, the United States.

In the middle, holding the Ryder Cup, captain Luke Donald was the one to receive that message.

Captain Donald and Team Europe win the 2025 Ryder Cup. Photo: @RyderCupEurope

Rahm called for a two-year contract extension for him – a common wish of the 12 European champions and fans: for Donald to continue to steer at the next Ryder Cup , the centenary tournament in Ireland in 2027.

There could hardly be a more worthy candidate than the man who led Europe to consecutive victories in Rome 2023 and now on American soil. Yet Donald is still hesitant.

“I don’t know if my heart can take it,” the 47-year-old golfer said of the immense pressure of being a team captain. The selection of golfers is just the most obvious part.

He has already secured names like Rory McIlroy, MacIntyre, Justin Rose, Fleetwood, Rasmus Hojgaard and Hatton, then added Rahm, Lowry, Straka, Aberg, Hovland and Fitzpatrick to complete the 12-man list.

Compared to Rome, the 11 faces remain the same, only Nicolai is replaced by his twin brother Rasmus - something unprecedented in history.

Donald has locked down a tight-knit group, with no big egos in the locker room (though they may disagree on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf), with plenty of Ryder Cup experience but still hungry for the huge challenge of winning on American soil.

He strengthened the framework with five deputies, from statistician Dodo Molinari to “fire” Jose Maria Olazabal.

Then Donald paid attention to every little detail: not satisfied with the shampoo in the New York hotel, he ordered another kind from Le Labo "with a more pleasant smell"; changed the pillowcases, blankets and mattresses so golfers could sleep well; and sealed the door cracks so that light wouldn't get into the room.

Luke Donald and his Ryder Cup achievements as a golfer and captain. Photo: @RyderCupEurope

On the final day of competition jerseys, golfers hid the logo of Seve Ballesteros (Spanish and European legend) inside, right next to the heart.

Ryder Cup History

“There are so many things Luke did that were perfect… His professionalism, his attention to detail, his understanding of Ryder and the game, what we need every day – it all came together to win these two games,” Rahm emphasized.

“Luke is the captain, and leads us better than anyone could. He has set a very high standard for his successors.”

Donald became the first captain to win two consecutive Ryder Cups since Tony Jacklin (1985, 1987), completing a remarkable feat.

He has participated 4 times as a golfer (2004, 2006, 2010, 2012); 2 times as captain (2023, 2025) - winning all 6. That is the highlight of his career with 5 PGA Tour titles, 7 on the European Tour and 8 times in the top 10 majors.

Interestingly, the captaincy came to Donald in an unexpected way, after Henrik Stenson quit to follow Saudi Arabia's LIV Golf.

Along with that, other candidates like Lee Westwood or Ian Poulter also left, allowing Donald to be chosen even though he was not the number one option at first.

Donald is a special captain. Photo: @RyderCupEurope

But the skepticism of the past has now turned into absolute trust. Europe is waiting to see if he dares to aim for a record of 3 consecutive crowns.

“It takes time and dedication to give the boys the best chance. I really put my heart into it because I feel I owe it to them, to Ryder,” Donald said.

He said after facing insults aimed at European golfers: "I put my personal career aside, every day I just thought about what ideas would help the team better. New York was a harsh challenge, even unpleasant, I had to keep myself cool as ice to control the situation."

Donald's success is even more striking when placed next to his American counterpart Keegan Bradley, who is facing criticism for his stadium preparation and is likely to be replaced.

On the other side of the Atlantic, names like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are expected to inspire new ideas.

Europe has a leader. It remains to be seen if Donald will continue for another two years, to take care of golfers, golf, and… shampoo.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/luke-donald-bi-mat-doi-truong-dac-biet-o-ryder-cup-2025-2448825.html