sport news Luke Donald on the daunting challenge of captaining Europe's Ryder Cup team trends now

sport news Luke Donald on the daunting challenge of captaining Europe's Ryder Cup team trends now
sport news Luke Donald on the daunting challenge of captaining Europe's Ryder Cup team trends now

sport news Luke Donald on the daunting challenge of captaining Europe's Ryder Cup team trends now

One of the workers of a sporting miracle is recalling the madness of a simpler time. It's all there and clear in his memories, details of the absurd and mundane in a comeback for the ages.

A decade ago this month? It could have been yesterday. And so Luke Donald is smiling his way through thoughts of an extraordinary weekend.

'I can't believe it's been so long,' he says. 'Even now it is nice to just sit and think about Medinah every so often.'

Luke Donald speaks about the daunting challenge of captaining Europe's Ryder Cup team

Luke Donald speaks about the daunting challenge of captaining Europe's Ryder Cup team

That was always his style — a thinker more than a shouter, except for the time he wasn't, when he stood on a bench that Sunday night and belted out songs with champagne-soaked hair.

'It can make extroverts of anyone — that's the brilliance of the Ryder Cup,' he says, and isn't it just? But you do wonder about it all and that is why we are here, talking about one of sport's great gatherings and how much might now be changing. 

Or another way of putting it: what the bloody hell is happening to golf, up to and including the astonishing events that reshaped the 44-year-old's career in the past two months?

Across a fascinating chat, Donald's first major newspaper interview since he replaced Henrik Stenson as the European captain for next October's match, he will return to the Miracle of Medinah, other wins of a perfect Ryder Cup record and bonds that once seemed unbreakable. 

Donald replace Henrik Stenson (pictured) as the European captain for next October's match

Donald replace Henrik Stenson (pictured) as the European captain for next October's match

But first to the recent past and two phone calls, both made by Guy Kinnings, the director of Ryder Cup Europe. In their narrow way they tell the story of a vast asteroid named LIV.

'I remember the call to say Henrik had got the post,' Donald says. 'It would have been in March. I suppose I was a little drawn into some social media and whispers I was hearing that it looked likely I would be given the position.

'I probably shouldn't have got dragged into that. When I heard, I was disappointed because I felt like I was perhaps the favourite to get it. And then, yeah, I didn't.'

He sighs. In regular circumstances, that would set a clock back by at least two years. But there is nothing normal about what has played out since Greg Norman fell down a bottomless well of Saudi Arabian money — in a game where many stars realised they have a price, for Stenson it was around £40million.

Cameron Smith (right) poses with Greg Norman (left) CEO of the Saudi-backed LIV Series

Cameron Smith (right) poses with Greg Norman (left) CEO of the Saudi-backed LIV Series

That led to a second call in July. 'I had just landed in Detroit to play a tournament when they reached me,' Donald says. 

'After Henrik announced he was going to LIV, there was talk Thomas (Bjorn, 2018 winning captain) might take the role because of the shortened captaincy. Guy said it was mine if I wanted it and I was elated.

'It was pretty… not daunting… but you know, it's a big job, especially with everything going on right now. I'm not going to lie — there's a lot going on in golf that no one has had to deal with before. But that's fine — every Ryder Cup captaincy has probably had its challenges. This is mine.'

Even for a man with no reputation for shooting from the hip, that is some understatement.

Donald is discussing why the European captaincy is the job of dreams. He has had many special days in 21 years in the lone-wolf existence of a touring pro — world No 1 for 56 weeks, 17 wins worldwide, five top-fives in the majors. But it is no great wonder that he so often thinks of scenarios from his four Ryder Cup wins.

He 'loves' the Cup, like most folk in his line of work do. It's the drama, of course, but it is also that magnificent unknown of throwing 12 rivals in a room and seeing what comes out.

It's a volatile equation — one where there is no telling how talent will react to the gravity and confined spaces. Some, like Ian Poulter, will fly; others who are far greater become lesser versions of themselves — no further examples are necessary once you've mentioned Tiger Woods.

Donald sealed three from three against golfing legend Tiger Woods (pictured) at the Ryder Cup

Donald sealed three from three against golfing legend Tiger Woods (pictured) at the Ryder Cup

That towering American never seemed quite so comfortable when integrated with men he was conditioned to beat. 

For those like Donald, a holder of 10.5 points from a possible 15 in the Cup, including three from three against Woods, it was always the opposite. In his mind, the answer to such riddles is also the secret to who celebrates on the Sunday.

'I don't have many things on Tiger but that is a nice thing to have,' Donald says. 'I think Tiger, great as he was, probably didn't perform as well in a Ryder Cup standpoint. 

'I think he was a little bit taken out of his element as someone so individually focused. Ryder Cups don't tend to be about that. It's about coming together in unity for something bigger than just yourself and that's why I've always loved it. It's what makes it special.'

Over and again, Donald will go to this topic. To camaraderie. To the forging of precious bonds. We all know from recent explosions where this thread of thought will lead, but for now Donald is going over the innocuous and profound moments of unity that have stayed in his mind across four Ryder Cups. 

He thinks of The K Club, Ireland, in 2006. It was his second Ryder Cup after his winning debut as one of Bernhard Langer's picks aged 26 in 2004.

Ian Woosnam had sent him out with Sergio Garcia, two men who excelled in one another's company in matches against the US, and the other side of the foursomes duel was Woods and Jim Furyk. 'It is funny some of the things that stick in your mind,' Donald says.

Ian Woosnam had sent him out with Sergio Garcia (pictured), two men who excelled in one another’s company in matches against the US

Ian Woosnam had sent him out with Sergio Garcia (pictured), two men who excelled in one another's company in matches against the US

'I remember the 17th tee — water down the left, trees on the right. Sergio sees I'm really hesitant on what to hit and walks over. 'You are a BMW'. I'm like, 'What?'

'He goes, 'You are the ultimate driving machine — take driver', I laughed, take out the driver and hit the fairway, and next shot he tucks it right next to the hole and the game was over. It's silly but for me, the Ryder Cup is about those moments with people.'

It's why some of his favourite memorabilia pinned to his office wall at home in Florida are the flags signed by the whole team from those four

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