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Luke Donald may have been forced to withdraw from the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, but that didn’t stop one of the biggest conversations in European golf from moving forward.
Luke Donald – 2025 Ryder Cup – Harry How
Donald was expected to meet with senior figures at the European Tour Group this week in Dubai as talks continue over who will captain Team Europe at the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, Ireland. And despite his early exit from the tournament, those meetings have still taken place.
According to Donald’s manager, Brendan Taylor, who spoke exclusively to Golf Digest Middle East, discussions were “really, really positive”, even if no final call has been made yet.
“Really, really positive meetings, but still no decision,” Taylor revealed. “There’ll be an announcement. When everybody’s ready to make that announcement. But very positive discussions. So we’ll see.”
The timing of the next captain appointment has been a hot topic, with Donald having successfully captained Team Europe to Ryder Cup victories in Rome in 2023 and at Bethpage this past September in 2025. The 2027 edition at Adare Manor in Ireland already feels like a blockbuster waiting to happen.
JP McManus, owner of Adare Manor; Patrick O’Donovan T.D., Ireland’s Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport; and Guy Kinnings – Ryder Cup Europe.
And Taylor, who has Irish roots, believes Adare Manor could deliver something genuinely special.
“As an Irishman myself, my dad’s Irish, it’s going to be amazing,” he said. “Any sporting event in Ireland, as you know, the Irish get well behind it.
“To have an international global event like the Ryder Cup would just be amazing. And J. P. McManus, we know what he’s done for the game of golf and what he’s done for that local community in Limerick… it’s just going to be unbelievable.”
Tiger Woods at the 2022 JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor
“I went down to the last J. P. McManus pro-am that JP had in 2022 and the amount of fans that turned out for that event was just exceptional,” he said. “And the amount that that did for various charities and the local community was amazing.
“So for Limerick to have something like the Ryder Cup is going to be mind-blowing. I’m really looking forward to it.”
The idea of Donald extending his run into 2027 has naturally gained traction, but Taylor made it clear that Donald initially saw his next stint as captain as his final chapter.
“It is a lot to think about,” Taylor said. “After Bethpage he was like, ‘That’s me done. I’ve won it home and away, that’s me done.’”
That stance, however, appears to have softened after a key moment on the DP World Tour last autumn, when Donald crossed paths with several of Europe’s biggest names.
Rory McIlroy – DP World India Championship – Jason Butler
“Then he went to play India on the DP World Tour last October,” Taylor explained, “and a number of the players like Rory, Shane, Viktor were there, and they were sort of trying to convince him that, you know, maybe you should think about this.”
“It was only until that point that he actually considered it,” he said. “But there’s a number of stakeholders obviously involved, and it’s not, you know, it’s not his ultimate decision. Everybody has to agree on what’s best for Ryder Cup Europe.”
Taylor was then quick to point out what it demands behind the scenes, not just from Luke, but from his family.
“Luke and his family, they put everything into it,” Taylor said. “Luke and Diane put everything into that for the period of time when they commit.
“And so they realise, you know, if they do decide to commit again, it’s going to take a significant chunk of their lives and time and headspace and thought process…”
“But the previous two have given them… just the most amazing weeks of their lives,” he said. “So we shall see what happens.”
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Main Image: Jamie Squire
