Exclusive: Jamie Donaldson Backs ‘Calm and Collected’ Luke Donald to Continue as Europe’s Ryder Cup Captain in 2027

Jamie Donaldson, Europe’s hero in the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, has backed Luke Donald to stay on as captain for the 2027 showdown against the United States. 

Europe made it back-to-back wins in the Ryder Cup when Donald’s side brushed off a hostile crowd at Bethpage’s Black course on the outskirts of New York in September.

The 15-13 victory, despite a final-day fightback by the hosts, kept the cup in Europe’s hands, following a handsome win for the home side at Marco Simone in Rome in 2023.

On both occasions, Englishman Donald has been captain, and he has not ruled out being in charge for a third time when Europe face the US at Adare Manor in south-west Ireland in 20 months’ time.

Donaldson has known Donald since they were superstar amateurs and were team-mates in Great Britain & Ireland’s side for the 2000 Eisenhower Trophy, which is effectively the World Cup of amateur golf.

SURPRISED

“It’s maybe surprised me a little bit how well he has done, but the fella is just so calm,” Donaldson told SportsBoom, who is now playing on the Legends Tour after a stellar career during which he reached world number 23.

“And people that have that calmness about them tend to make good captains. I remember watching him in that first one in Rome and being very impressed."

“I saw him and I saw Zach Johnson, and I just thought, we’re one-up here. Luke's interviews were just so calm and collected, like he knew exactly what he was doing."

“I wouldn’t say Zach looked like a rabbit in the headlights because he's a Major winner, he's a great player. He's a double winner – and he won the two best ones (Masters and Open), but it just didn't look as calm and as well thought out. Luke just looked like he had every angle covered.”

One of Donaldson’s big wins was at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, so he is well aware of the atmosphere that will be created at Adare Manor in 2027.

“Oh, it’ll be bouncing. Absolutely bouncing. The crowd in Ireland are always incredible, everywhere you do,” added the Welshman, who earned the winning point for Europe in 2014 and was joint-second top points scorer."

“So they’ll have that support, which is obviously a lot different to what happened at Bethpage. But you still need that clear head. To think correctly when it’s all going off. And Luke has got that."

“Paul McGinley, my captain at Gleneagles, was the same. He left me out of the opening matches and I was headless, because I was playing so well before the event and in praise."

TEAM GAME

“But he just calmly explained it and told me to get ready for the afternoon. And I was. It’s like a football manager’s role - you’ve got to try to keep your squad happy, and everyone who is on a Ryder Cup team is a good player who is used to deciding things for themselves. In the Ryder Cup you’re suddenly part of a team.”

Donald took on the European captaincy when Henrik Stenson was stripped of the role when he joined Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf tour with less than a year before the match at Marco Simone.

He guided his side to a 16.5-11.5 victory in Italy and followed that by triumphing 15-13 in America.

Since the 1990s, when Bernard Gallacher finished a three-term stint with victory at Oak Hill, no-one had been European Ryder Cup captain more than once until Donald in 2023 and 2025.