Luke Donald not ruling out third term as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain

Luke Donald has not ruled out serving a third term as European Ryder Cup captain.

A clamour is already growing for the 47-year-old to stay on after masterminding a second successive triumph over the United States.

The latest win arrived in dramatic circumstances at Bethpage Black on Sunday as Donald’s side held off a stunning fightback from the hosts to prevail 15-13.

It was Europe’s first success in the US since 2012 and, coming after their comprehensive triumph in Rome two years ago, assured Donald of a place among the competition’s greats.

As after the Italian win, the calls for Donald stay on for another term began almost immediately with celebrating players chanting “two more years” towards their inspirational leader.

The next contest is at Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland, in 2027.

Donald told BBC Sport: “A lot of people questioned why I would do it a second time after doing it so well in Rome, but home and away is a different challenge and I’ve ticked both those boxes.

“Whether I do it again is something I’ll have to think about.”

He added: “I’m very humbled and grateful that some of the players and the fans were chanting two years again. I’ll never rule (it) out.

“I’m not going to rush into a decision like this today. I just want to enjoy this one.”

Donald left nothing to chance in his preparations for the event and his tactical decisions almost all came off.

Jon Rahm, who helped deliver three points, was one player to heap praise on the captain.

“There’s so many things that Luke has done outstandingly professionally, so perfect,” said the Spaniard.

“He is the captain of this ship, and he’s led us better than I can see anybody leading us. He’s set the bar extremely high for the future captains.”

Donald gave some insight into the level of detail he had gone into during the team’s post-event press conference.

Much was made of the virtual reality headsets he used in an attempt to prepare the team for the hostile reception they duly encountered.

Yet his planning went much deeper, with even bed coverings and the scent of shampoo being considered.

He said: “My job is literally to give these guys a better chance to win. It can be as simple as some very small things.

“I’ll give you an example. The doors to our hotel rooms had a big crack that let in light. We brought things that covered the light.

“We put different shampoos that had a better smell. We changed the bedding because the beds weren’t very good.

“We created much nicer beds so guys could sleep, they could have more energy.”