Rory McIlroy emphatically vowed Europe will defend their Ryder Cup crown at Bethpage Black in 2025, and the man put in charge of delivering another victory is Luke Donald.
On Wednesday Team Europe announced that Donald would be returning as captain after leading his continent to victory last month. The Europeans won their seventh-straight home Ryder Cup at Marco Simone, defeating their American rivals 16.5-11.5. The performance proved to be the perfect response to Europe's record-breaking defeat at the hands of Team USA two years earlier, as Donald inspired a new-look 12-man team to a comfortable win in the Italian capital.
His second spell as skipper will prove a much a tougher task though, with the away team having only won one of the last eight Ryder Cups. Despite this, one man who is confident Donald's team can come bring the crown back to Europe is star man McIlroy.
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Speaking after Team Europe's win in Rome in October, the Northern Irishman had a strong warning for his American rivals. "I’ve said this for the last probably six or seven years to anyone that will listen," McIlroy said. "I think one of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup.
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"And that’s what we’re going to do at Bethpage.’’ The four-time major champion's rallying claim was well backed by his teammates, who proceeded to bang on the tables they were sat by during their post-victory press conference. Whether Donald's team can live up to McIlroy's bold claim remains to be seen, but the skipper is more than ready for the challenge ahead.
Rory McIlroy helped Luke Donald's Europe win the Ryder Cup (Getty Images)"There is no question that being a captain away from home is a tough task," Donald said. "But I have never shied away from challenges throughout my career and it is precisely the kind of thing that motivates me. I can’t wait to get another 12-strong team to Bethpage in 2025.”
Opening up on his re-call, the captain added: "I’m delighted and honoured to have been given the chance to lead Team Europe in the Ryder Cup once again. Great opportunities don’t come along very often in life and I’m a great believer that when they do, you need to grab them with both hands – this is one of these moments.
I’ve been fortunate as a player to have had many amazing times in the Ryder Cup over the years and so to add being a winning captain to that, to form bonds with the 12 players like we did in Italy and to get the result we did, was very special indeed." Donald will make Ryder Cup history in New York, becoming the the first European captain to lead the continent in back-to-back Ryder Cups since Bernard Gallacher was given the honour as a three-time captain in 1995.
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