Content provided courtesy of Rolex, a worldwide partner of the Ryder Cup
Luke Donald, the captain who will lead the European team this week against the U.S. in the Ryder Cup, spoke with Rolex about his long-standing relationship with the Swiss watchmaker and his preparations for the match on September 29-October 1 at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, Italy. Donald, an Englishman who won five times on the PGA Tour and six more times on the European Tour, played in four Ryder Cups – all team victories. Here is a portion of that conversation:
Rolex: What is it about the team competition format that you particularly enjoy?
Donald: It is the purest form of competition that we have in our sport. We play a lot of individual tournaments most of the time, but to come together as a team, and do something more for other people rather than just yourself, elevates what the Ryder Cup is about. There is nothing quite like representing your country or continent as you are playing for your family, teammates, and the history of the Ryder Cup. The importance of the event goes beyond the individual. The Ryder Cup is amazing as the motivation to succeed extends beyond monetary reasons.
As players, we are not playing for the World Tour points or FedEx points but are playing for pride. There is a passion around our reasons, and it resonates with supporters that tune in and watch the tournament. The fans can feel that it is just “them against us.” There is a great rivalry; it is very passionate. There is nothing that quite matches it in the game of golf.
Rolex: You represented Europe in the Ryder Cup four times as a player, being part of a winning team on all four occasions (2004, 2006, 2010 and 2012). Can you describe the feeling of what it means to represent Team Europe? And how much do you enjoy being involved in the Ryder Cup?
Donald: I have had a nice individual career. I have accomplished a significant amount as a player. My most special moments have been in the Ryder Cup editions, and being able to share that in a team atmosphere. This is what golfers do miss on a day-to-day and weekly basis. During the Ryder Cup and in the lead-up to the event, the team comes together to start to build that unity and teamwork. This gradually forms from having everyone together. As captain, you are able to put all those individual talents and egos into one umbrella to try and showcase our strengths. As a teammate, it is great to come and know that you may be paired up with the best driver in the world like Rory McIlroy or with the best putters in the world. Putting all those talents into one team and building on that is very special. It is a great week. You get to share it with other people. You get to enjoy special events and watch presentations with Rolex. These are all the traditions that make it ever so special.
Rolex: In 2012, you led Team Europe out in the singles, securing the first blue point on the board in the “Miracle at Medinah.” Can you describe how special that occasion was and what was going through your head as you led Team Europe out?
Donald: I felt incredibly honored and privileged to be selected to go out first. Things had not gone right that week; we were struggling and were 10-4 down at one point. Sergio García and I won an important point on Saturday evening, and Ian Poulter and Rory Mcllroy won another after us. The score then changed to 10-6, which gave us a glimmer of hope. We were obviously guided by the spirit of Seve Ballesteros with (captain) José María Olazábal being an amazing Ryder Cup partner of his in the past. I think having that spirit and that fight, and having Seve guiding us really helped. On that Sunday, we got off to a fast start, which we needed to as when you are down on points, you want to put your best players out first. This is with the aim of trying to get some blue on the board early on.
It was an incredible honor to go out as No. 1; I played my best match of the whole week. I hardly missed a shot and I did not give Bubba Watson much of a chance. It was great to get that point on the board. However, when you start as No. 1, you have a long wait as when you are finishing your match on hole 5 or 6, some are just starting. It was a long two to three hours after, but the momentum kept building and the team kept on winning matches.
At one point, we started to realize that we had a good chance of pulling off the biggest upset ever at a Ryder Cup. It was incredibly fun to be a part of that.
Rolex: Are there any other particular Ryder Cup moments or playing experiences that stand out for you?
Donald: There are always little shots and moments that remain memorable. This ranges from spending moments with the teammates on the golf course or back at the hotel, and no matter the outcome, we always come together as a team.
I remember my very first match in 2004 that I played with Paul McGinley where I hit the most amazing 2-iron. It fell into the last green to give ourselves the opportunity to win the match, but we ended up halving instead. The 7-iron that I hit at Medinah against Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker also remains a special moment for me. In 2010, Lee Westwood and I were playing against Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in the foursomes. There are a lot of little things that you remember, and during each edition of the Ryder Cup, you want to play well as an individual. But even if the outcome is not what you hoped for, it is rewarding to know that you have contributed to try and help the team win. This is what makes the week very special.
Rolex: Having recently visited and played at Marco Simone Golf Club at the Italian Open, can you tell us about the course? Do you think it is well-suited to the strengths of Team Europe, and how do you see them faring?
Donald: There is no surprise that in Team Europe when playing, we like to follow a template that has been successful for us. We like to make it reasonably challenging down the fairways. We have a deep dive into statistics on what our potential team does well, and same with the potential U.S. team. It is important to do so as it gives one a slight edge, which is very hard to do as players are very successful and accomplished. They are all amazing players. It is important to focus and do the little things that might give you a slight edge in the matches. So once again, we would have learned. There will be a deep dive into statistics, and on how the different holes are played with different strategies that we will need to try and make. It is amazing the information and the detail that goes into all the preparation and planning. I am very happy with my team vice captains of Thomas Bjørn, Edoardo Molinari and Nicolas Colsaerts who do a lot of the statistics. We are on a good track right now.
Rolex: What are you particularly looking forward to for the Rome edition?
Donald: It was a great experience serving as a vice captain under Thomas Bjørn. I think he was a great captain. There were a lot of things that he did well along his journey of being the captain and how he was prepared and gave his team the best opportunity. He was very much respected by a lot of the players.
I certainly enjoyed experiencing a different side of the Ryder Cup from being a player to suddenly becoming a vice captain. I saw things in a different manner, and it certainly highlighted the amount of work and the preparation that happens before the 12 players turn up. We were able to build some strong relationships.
I will always remember standing on the 18th green, when we had already won the Ryder Cup and watching Alex Norén placing that long putt against Bryson DeChambeau. It was a 60-foot putt to finish the Ryder Cup, and everyone jumping around and cheering as a result. It is a different experience as a vice captain, as you are not hitting shots and therefore do not have that control. However, you are trying to build those relationships to help make the captain’s job easier. There is a lot going on for the captain, so he wants people who he can trust and that the players will respect. It is important that the vice captains help him that week so they can truly be focused on the process.