European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald says planning for the 2027 contest is already beginning to take shape after an early visit to Adare Manor last month.

Speaking ahead of his 18th appearance at the U.S. PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, Donald reflected on a trip he made with wife Diane and Vice Captain Edoardo Molinari as he begins the journey of leading Team Europe for a third successive time.

“Got in a little trip to Adare last month,” he told media on Wednesday as he prepares to make his first professional start of 2026.

“Had a good look at the golf course, had a good look at the hotel, and progress has started. Yeah, it’s early days, but we’re already ticking a few boxes and enjoying the journey again.”

Those early steps came just a month after the 48-year-old was announced as Captain for a third time, having led Europe to victory at Marco Simone in Rome in 2023 before retaining the trophy with a win at Bethpage last September.

That decision was not one Donald took lightly. His two winning campaigns have been marked by meticulous preparation, from detailed planning on and off the course to a leadership style that has earned admiration on both sides of the Atlantic.

That attention to detail has extended well beyond pairings and tactics. Donald was the first European Captain to establish practice trips part of the process in both Rome and New York, embraced data alongside Molinari and was willing to make bold calls when he believed they could give Europe an edge, including opening with foursomes in Rome for the first time since 1993.

The same approach shaped the build-up to Bethpage, where players were exposed to the atmosphere they could expect in New York with VR headsets and were surrounded by reminders of Europe’s four previous away victories throughout the week itself . From wearing tops inspired by each of those four away wins during practice days to the ‘Our Time, Our Place’ video and a team room built around Europe’s history on the road, the message landed as intended.

All of it demanded time, energy and conviction, and after making history with wins both home and away, Donald initially felt his captaincy might have run its natural course after New York.

Encouragement from players and support from his family, however, helped persuade him to return as he bids to become the first captain to lead either side to victory in three Ryder Cups in a row.

“I think that Sunday night — I’ve said it before maybe a few times. I’m not sure if I’ve said it publicly. But Sunday night of New York, I thought that was my time as captain. I’m very fortunate to be able to do it twice and to be a winning captain home and away. I think you always dream of something like that happening, and it happened. I felt very good about that.

“But as the months went on — I live in South Florida. I live very close to Rory. I live very close to Shane, Matt Fitzpatrick. I saw a few guys in Dubai in January as well. They were definitely very positive about me trying to go again. So I started to think about it because, if your players really want you to do it, then I would at least consider that.

“Then I really wanted to talk to my family. It’s a little bit of a burden on a family. My oldest daughter is 16. In two years’ time, she’ll be going to college. I knew, if I took this job on, it would be more time away than if I didn’t. So that was a consideration.

“It’s been a hugely positive experience for my family. The winning helps. But they’ve enjoyed some of the moments, especially the weeks of the Ryder Cup. It’s been great for my family. So they were very much behind it.”

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