Luke Donald faces a tall task in his Ryder Cup defense; here are 4 reasons why

Luke Donald looks at the Ryder Cup trophy during the Year to Go Press Conference in New York. | Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Donald faces a stern challenge next year at Bethpage Black, where he will be the first captain in 30 years to lead back-to-back Ryder Cup teams.

European Captain Luke Donald faces a near impossible task: winning a Ryder Cup on back-to-back occasions, on both European and American soil.

Only one man has accomplished that feat before, as the great Tony Jacklin captained the European side in four straight competitions from 1983 to 1989. After narrowly losing at PGA National in 1983, Team Europe secured their first win as a continent in 1985. They then shocked the Americans at Muirfield Village in 1987, winning 15-to-13. The two sides then tied in 1989, which led Europe to retain the cup.

But now Donald hopes to take after his fellow countryman, rallying on the cries of ‘Olé, Olé, Olé’ to stymie Captain Keegan Bradley and the Americans on their home soil. History says it can be done. Yet Donald faces a tall task in his Ryder Cup defense. Here are four major reasons why:

1. Winning an away Ryder Cup is the hardest thing to do in golf

Immediately after Rory McIlroy helped the Europeans win in Rome, the Northern Irishman sent a warning shot to the Americans for 2025:

“I think one of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup,” McIlroy said just hours after he defeated Sam Burns 3 & 1 in Singles.

“And that’s what we’re going to do at Bethpage.”

Whether the Europeans follow through with McIlroy’s proclamation remains to be seen. But he hit the nail on the head about winning a Ryder Cup on the road. Since 1979, the first year the European team encompassed all of continental Europe, only six Ryder Cups have been won by the away side. The United States won at Walton Heath in 1981, and then in 1993, they defeated the Europeans at The Belfry—the last time the U.S. won on European soil. Meanwhile, Team Europe has won in the United States on four occasions, winning in 1987, 1995, 2004, and, most recently, 2012. The home side has dominated the competition since.

“One of the hardest things to do is to win an away Ryder Cup, and I will have to adapt a little bit,” Donald said Tuesday, agreeing with McIlroy’s comments from over a year ago.

Getty Images
The Europeans, including Luke Donald, celebrate their come-from-behind win at Medinah in 2012.

“Some of the advantages I had with home crowd support, I’ve lost that advantage. Setting up the golf course, I’ve lost that advantage. It’s about coming up with different ways to try and counter some of those disadvantages and turn them into something positive. Again, there was a lot of learnings from that Ryder Cup in Rome that we will take to New York, but there are some differences that we will have to implement to give our team any chance.”

Donald also understands that his team will have to embrace the role of the underdog, the title often given to the away team, especially over the past dozen years.

“When playing an away Ryder Cup, I think you have to be the underdog,” Donald explained.

“Just looking historically, Whistling Straits [in 2021], the result was very one-sided. Hazeltine [in 2016] was pretty one-sided; Valhalla [in 2008]. You know, we were fortunate to come back at Medinah [in 2012]. But the last few times we’ve played away, the results have been one-sided towards the U.S. Yes, in a tough environment, we will be the underdogs.”

2. Feisty New York crowds

Everyone knows that New York sports fans are intense and passionate, often turning hostile if things do not go their way. Next year at Bethpage Black will be no different. Thousands of New Yorkers will flock to Long Island, donned in red, white, and blue, but they will no doubt create a hectic environment for the visitors.

“The Ryder Cup is special because it is spirited. Passions are high. Energy is high. You want to see that among the players,” Donald said.

“We are looking forward to playing in front of a New York crowd. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be feisty. It’s going to be spirited, and it will be fun.”

Could things get out of line?

Most certainly—and unfortunately, it has happened before at Bethpage Black.

During the 2009 U.S. Open, perhaps the wettest week in tournament history, multiple rain delays lasted longer than when rounds actually took place. It was a mess. A monsoon washed out most of Thursday, and the second round did not begin until roughly 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Saturday also saw more rain and stoppage, which sent plenty of disgruntled fans to the concessions. Drunken stoopers—and occasional fights—ensued, creating a muddy, disgusting mess for fans on the course and for those making their way home. Eleven-year-old me saw it firsthand. Lucas Glover eventually won, as he and Ricky Barnes—the final group—had to play 16 holes on Monday.

Regardless, you hope a situation like that does not arise again, especially since the home crowd will cheer on the same team—much unlike a major, which consists of 72 holes of individual stroke play.

The American fans will be energetic and rowdy, which will be a massive advantage for the U.S. team. But Bradley wants them to behave respectfully and ensure things do not get out of hand.

“I want them to cheer loudly and proudly for their team,” Bradley said.

“This is a special place to New Yorkers, Bethpage, and you know, they are a part of our team. They will be with us throughout the week, and I want them to be passionate, loud, excited, and respectful of the other side.”

The crowds help make the Ryder Cup an incredible spectacle. Everyone’s passion, especially when cheering on the home team, is a significant reason why an away team has not won a Cup since 2012. New Yorkers are also a different breed, so their unrivaled enthusiasm will be challenging to overcome—perhaps like never before.

3. Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Colin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and Scottie Scheffler share a laugh ahead of the 2024 Presidents Cup.

The United States currently has the two best players in the world, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, on its side.

Scheffler just put together a Tiger Woods-like season, winning seven times, not including his gold medal triumph in Paris. But he also turned surreal statistics, blistering courses of all shapes and sizes from tee to green. He dominated Bay Hill, stormed from behind at TPC Sawgrass, turned in a flawless final-round score at Augusta National, and then went on to win four more times, all being significant events on the schedule.

But Scheffler, the World No. 1, has become a leader within the U.S. team.

“I had a lot of chances to talk with Scottie Scheffler, and you know, he’s such a hard guy to talk to at tournaments because he’s always winning,” Bradley said after the press conference.

“So I don’t want to bother him, you know? But I got a chance to sit down with him [at the Presidents Cup], and he’s just a good guy. He’s just a really great guy. I was joking with him, but when he is inside the ropes, he is a different guy than when he is outside the ropes. Inside the ropes, there is a job to do: win the golf tournament, win his point, or whatever it may be. But he was a great leader last week [in Royal Montreal]. He helped a lot of the younger guys, and he is super valuable to the team.”

Scheffler’s Team USA debut came at Whistling Straits in 2021, when the U.S. defeated the Europeans by a historic margin. That experience helped his confidence exponentially, as he went on to win his first Green Jacket the following spring. The former Texas Longhorn has dominated the sport since then.

Schauffele, meanwhile, vaulted his career trajectory into rare air this past year, winning a pair of majors in entirely different circumstances. He went low at Valhalla, birdieing the 72nd hole to fend off Bryson DeChambeau by a stroke. Then, two months later, he conquered the wind, rain, and the Scottish summer with an epic final 36 holes at Royal Troon to become the Champion Golfer of the Year. He proved to the world that he is a cold-blooded killer in 2024, something nobody said before this year when he had the title of ‘Best current player never to win a major.’

But like Scheffler, Schauffele, who some call the funniest man on the PGA Tour, has also become a leader on the U.S. side.

“Xander is a leader of the U.S. Team,” Bradley said of Schauffele.

“He is a guy everyone on the team looks up to, including their captain. He’s just an unbelievable person and a critical part of our team… He’s nothing but amazing in the team room and with the players.”

Granted, the Europeans have some terrific players, too. McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, and Jon Rahm have all proven formidable before and will contribute mightily to the Europeans once again. The same mantra applies to Ludvig Åberg, Tyrrell Hatton, and Tommy Fleetwood.

A player’s form can change as well. Nobody can predict the future or how the 2025 golf season will unfold, so who knows how Scheffler and Schauffele will fare next year. But right now, they are an unformidable duo, one not to be messed with. Throw in the fact that they have become vocal leaders within the team room; watch out.

4. Stricter LIV Golf policies

The U.S. and European sides operate under different modus operandi related to LIV Golf.

Since the PGA of America facilitates the American side, U.S. players do not necessarily have to be PGA Tour members in good standing. Look no further than in 2023, when Brooks Koepka played his way onto the U.S. side thanks to his win at Oak Hill and his runner-up finish to Rahm at Augusta.

Therefore, Bradley has no worries about the PGA Tour-LIV Golf saga. He only wants the 12 best players, regardless of affiliation.

The Europeans, meanwhile, have stingier policies regarding the Saudi-backed circuit.

“The DP World Tour’s policies have been very consistent. There’s been a lot of clarity around that. It’s really the same as it was in Rome,” Donald said.

Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm, and Vice Captain Luke Donald at the 2021 Ryder Cup.

“You have to be a Member of The European Tour and born in Europe. If you fulfill the regulations and the rules that the DP World Tour set, then you’re eligible. There’s a bunch of LIV guys that play on LIV that they are eligible now; so I can pick them at will.”

Rahm and Hatton, who jumped over to LIV within the past 12 months, have not resigned their DP World Tour memberships, unlike former Ryder Cup stalwarts Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Paul Casey.

That explains why Rahm and Hatton have competed in numerous DP World Tour events dating back to late August when qualifying for the European team began. These two want to represent the Blue and Gold of Europe once more.

Garcia does, too.

After all, the 2017 Masters champion is the winningest player in Ryder Cup history, tallying 28.5 points across his 10 appearances. But for Garcia to make the team requires much more effort.

“He resigned his membership a couple of years ago. But we have had some chats,” Donald said of Garcia.

“He’s considering rejoining. He’d have to follow all the rules and regulations like everyone else, and if he does that, again, he will be eligible to partake in the Ryder Cup.”

Should Garcia want to serve as a vice-captain in some capacity, he must rejoin the DP World Tour as well.

Whether that happens remains to be seen, but the Europeans face much stricter LIV policies. That did not affect them in 2023—the first time a Ryder Cup occurred after LIV’s launch in 2022—but it may hinder them in 2025.

Still, the Europeans have a stern challenge in front of them at Bethpage Black.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.