Updated March 4, 2026, 10:07 a.m. ET
Luke Donald will return as the captain for Team Europe in the 2027 Ryder Cup.This will be Donald’s third consecutive term as captain, following victories in 2023 and 2025.He aims to become the first European captain to lead his team to three straight Ryder Cup wins.The 2027 Ryder Cup will be held at Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland.
The Europeans have their guy.
Luke Donald, who has led Team Europe to consecutive Ryder Cup victories in dominating fashion, is returning for a third stint as the head man for the 2027 competition at Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland, it was announced Wednesday.
Donald will look to become the first captain to lead his team to three straight victories in the biennial bash. The competition celebrates its 100th anniversary at Adare Manor.
“The last two Ryder Cups have meant a lot to me and my family,” Donald said. “I didn’t imagine this third time would come. Celebrating on that Sunday night in New York after a pressure-packed week in a tough environment, I thought maybe my job was done. But maybe there is a little more story to tell. This Ryder Cup captaincy journey has given me so much focus, so much purpose and it is something I don’t take for granted. It’s a real privilege and I am certainly looking forward to another home Ryder Cup.”
Donald, 48, led the Euros to a 16½-11½ victory in 2023 at Marco Simone in Rome, and last September at Bethpage Black in New York, the European team held off a furious U.S. rally in Sunday Singles to retain the Cup with a 15-13 win.
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Now, he has a chance to go for even more Ryder Cup lore.
“History is obviously important to me,” Donald continued. “As a team, as Ryder Cup Europe, we all play for history. We talk about it a lot, about the guys who paved the way for us and the responsibility we have to inspire next generations. But I don’t think I have ever thought about history through a personal lens. I just try to enjoy the journey and the day-to-day work to create an environment that gives the players the opportunity for success. That is what I focus on.”
The 2027 Ryder Cup is set for Sept. 13-19.
Donald becomes just the fourth person to captain Europe in three or more consecutive Ryder Cups, after Dai Rees (1955, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1967), Tony Jacklin (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989) and Bernard Gallacher (1991, 1993, 1995).
As a player, Donald represented Europe four times in the Ryder Cup, being part of a winning team on all four occasions, contributing 10½ points from his 15 matches. After making his debut at Oakland Hills in 2004, his first home Ryder Cup came in Ireland two years later, when he won three points from his three matches as part of Ian Woosnam’s victorious team at The K Club in 2006.
Donald also featured in the European victories at The Celtic Manor Resort in 2010 and Medinah Country Club in 2012, then served as a Vice Captain in 2018, under Thomas Bjorn, and Padraig Harrington in 2021.
“The Irish golf fans are some of the best in the world,” Donald said. “They are so passionate about the game, so hospitable and so down to earth. They will bring such a great energy to the Ryder Cup. I am sure they will get behind our players and cheers us on. That’s what you want from a crowd – to pick you up in those low moments and keep you going when things are going well.
“That will be a big factor. It’s obviously one of the advantages of playing at home and there is no better place to do it than in Ireland.
“Adare Manor is such a special place, such a beautiful place. JP McManus and his team have done an amazing job creating a world-class venue and hotel. Hosting a Ryder Cup will be very special to them, and they are going to make sure it is going to be one of the greatest Ryder Cups in the history of our beautiful trophy.”
In the aftermath of the Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black, Donald’s players clamored for their skip to return. They got their wish.
