Europe announce 2027 Ryder Cup captain to put Tiger Woods under increasing pressure

Luke Donald will captain Team Europe for a third-straight time at the 2027 Ryder Cup.

The Englishman has been given the chance to write himself into the history books at Adare Manor in Limerick.

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Donald inspired two consecutive wins in Rome and New York with a meticulous attention to detail and team culture, asserting Europe as a truly dominant force over Team USA.

The most recent triumph at Bethpage Black – the first on foreign soil for 13 years – put him alongside Tony Jacklin as the only European captain to go back-to-back.

Jacklin retained a third Ryder Cup with a tied match in 1989, but Donald will be hoping to go one better and become the first skipper to win outright three times in a row when Ireland plays host in 18 months.

With Europe constantly one step ahead of their American counterparts in recent years, the DP World Tour‘s announcement puts increasing pressure on Team USA to name their captain.

Over to you, Tiger?

Tiger Woods is their first choice but he is yet to commit amid concerns over his time.

The 15-time major winner rejected the opportunity in 2023 and the decision to appoint world no. 20 Keegan Bradley was widely scrutinised, given it essentially blocked him from being a valuable player on the team.

Woods is heavily involved in the running of the PGA Tour and recently distanced himself from a decision on the Ryder Cup.

“I’m trying to figure out what we’re trying to do with our tour,” Woods said.

“That’s been driving me hours upon hours every day and trying to figure out if I can actually do our Team USA and our players and everyone that’s going to be involved in the Ryder Cup, justice with my time.

“Serving on two boards, and what I’m doing for the PGA Tour, I’m trying to figure out if I can actually do this and serve the people that are involved and serve them at an honourable level.”

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It is understood the PGA of America have given Woods a soft deadline to commit before the Masters in April.

The 50-year-old, who has been injured for more than a year, could make his long-awaited return at Augusta.

What about Jon Rahm?

Donald will have to address the elephant in the room – and that is whether Team Europe could be without Jon Rahm at Adare Manor.

While Tyrrell Hatton recently dropped his appeal and paid fines to the DP World Tour in order to secure a release for LIV Golf events, Rahm did not.

It puts his Ryder Cup future in jeopardy – given Rahm will either have to submit to terms he does not agree with, or hand in his DP World Tour membership – unless he can win an unlikely appeal against the sanctions.

The Spaniard has been a hugely important part of Donald’s team across the last two Ryder Cups – securing six points from a possible nine.