Luke Donald (M)
When Donald Trump visited Bethpage during the Ryder Cup, a homemade banner fastened to a hospitality box beside the 18th fairway carried a clear message: “In Donald we trust.”
It wasn’t directed at the former US President. Instead, it celebrated Europe’s captain Luke Donald — the man who has now etched his name into golfing history by becoming just the fourth skipper to win back-to-back Ryder Cups.
Even Trump seemed taken by the achievement, calling the 47-year-old Englishman a “great leader” when the two met on Friday. By Sunday evening, after Europe sealed a rare away victory on American soil, few at Bethpage would have disagreed.
“Luke is the captain of this ship, and he’s led us better than I can see anybody leading us,” said Spain’s Jon Rahm, as teammates around him nodded. “He set the bar extremely high for the future captains.”
Beaten US captain Keegan Bradley went even further, declaring Donald “the best European Ryder Cup captain ever” — though the legendary Tony Jacklin, who delivered Europe’s first back-to-back triumphs in 1985 and 1987, might argue otherwise.
Donald’s story is remarkable. Drafted in as a late replacement for Henrik Stenson, who defected to LIV Golf ahead of the 2023 contest in Rome, he guided Europe to a dominant home victory before repeating the feat away in New York. Only Jacklin had previously managed that double.
“I think he turned this European team into a really unstoppable force,” Bradley admitted. “He put his team in the best position to win, and to do that at these two places is a remarkable feat.”
Europe’s win at Bethpage not only reinforced Donald’s reputation as a master strategist but also extended the continent’s modern era of Ryder Cup dominance.
BBC Sport takes a closer look at how Donald masterminded one of Europe’s greatest away victories.