Europe’s Ryder Cup preparations for the 2023 tournament were thrown into disarray by the announcement of Henrik Stenson’s move to the LIV Golf Series. The Swede made the decision to turn his back on the DP and PGA Tours to join the breakaway league, despite knowing that his choice would result in his dismissal as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain.
Stenson reaffirmed his decision and was consequently stripped of the honour, becoming the first man to be stripped of the captaincy. The European Tour were forced to scramble to find his replacement, but opted to hand Englishman Luke Donald the task of regaining the Ryder Cup that was lost in the United States at Whistling Straits under the tenure of Padraig Harrington.
BREAKING 🚨: Luke Donald named Europe Ryder Cup 2023 captain! ⛳ pic.twitter.com/tRMlHm7y2Y
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 1, 2022
Europe are the underdogs in the golf odds at 15/8 to win the Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome. Donald does have a lot of talent at his disposal, but with only 13 months to plan his course of attack, there is not much time to plan. The golf predictions already heavily favour the United States to secure a victory on European soil for the first time since 1995 due to their outstanding performance in 2021.
There was a distinct gap in quality between the two sides as the US were operating at the peak of their powers, buoyed by the raucous crowd in Wisconsin. The fear factor that Europe used to provoke against the USA seems to no longer have a hold over their rivals, putting Donald under huge pressure to mount a response with his selections for the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Old heroes of the past such as Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter are already out of contention due to their participation in the LIV Golf Series. Donald may turn to Italy for his wildcard options to bring out the home crowd, especially given Francesco Molinari’s performance at the 2018 Ryder Cup, where he left Le Golf National with a perfect 5-0 record. The 39-year-old has not been in the best of form since, but he would represent a solid option for Donald as a wildcard choice.
Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy are the two outstanding players that Europe have their disposal to take on the United States. Whereas Rahm left Whistling Straits with his head held high after mustering 3.5 points out of a possible five, McIlroy was off the pace notching only one out of a possible four. The two men are the key for Europe, and Donald will have to get a lot more out of them than Harrington managed in his ill-fated reign.
HE DID IT 🏆
— Northwestern Golf (@NUGolf_Live) June 19, 2022
Wildcat Matt Fitzpatrick wins the 2022 US Open at The Country Club!!!@patgossnugolf @MattFitz94 @NU_Sports @NUDinglis #ProCats | #NUGolf pic.twitter.com/Q9kvLk1PrS
Matt Fitzpatrick had a rough ride in the United States, but he has blossomed over the last year, winning his first major at the 2022 US Open. The task for Donald will be to usher forward the next generation of talent to play crucial roles for Europe throughout the competition given the lack of experience at hand. Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Tyrell Hatton are all quality players, but need to realise their potential in the heat of battle against opponents that will punish any mistake.
There’s not a lot of time for Donald to rally his team, but he certainly has the chance to captain with freedom after being thrust into the position in testing circumstances.