Luke Donald’s nightmares may be over.
Nightmares?
Didn’t the man just lead Europe’s Ryder Cup team to a road win, two years after leading the European Championship to a home win, which is every bit the dream scenario?
Indeed. And the success was certainly sublime for Donald. But getting there required work. Or perhaps better said: work work, which apparently came all the way to bed with Donald, making for an interesting revelation ahead of the DP World Tour event in India on Tuesday. It came after a reporter asked the former world No. 1 player how he was adjusting to preparing for tournament golf just a few weeks after the Ryder Cup.
“Honestly, I’m not sure that’s true,” Donald said. ‘Yes, it happened after Rome [two years ago]and this one is about the same.
Why was that?
“The captaincy really does that. In the run-up to the Ryder Cup you spend five or six weeks thinking about all kinds of different things: partnerships, combinations, the golf course, the gifts,” he said.
“There’s so much involved that your mind gets a little clogged.”
How so?
It’s in your head, even when your eyes are closed.
“I’ve had a lot of nights where I’ve woken up with Ryder Cup dreams,” Donald said, “and things where I’ve forgotten my radio one night and there’s another game on the course and I’m panicking and trying to get to the game. Just things like that. It just takes a while to calm down.”
“I think actually coming here and playing a tournament will really help. It will make me think more about what I need to do this week.”
“It’s a nice problem to have after a Ryder Cup win, but I’m looking forward to playing again.”
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On Tuesday, Donald was also asked a few other Ryder Cup questions.
– He answered what qualities would make Rory McIlroy suitable for Ryder Cup captaincy.
“Well, just the fact that he loves the Ryder Cup more than anything,” Donald said. “He made it very clear that winning a Ryder Cup remotely would really be the icing on the cake to a great year he had this year.
“Yes, he loves what it represents. You’ve seen the emotion from losing to winning. Anyone with a passion for a Ryder Cup would, I think, make a good captain.”
– Asked if he would become captain in 2027, he gave his reaction to the thought of being called the greatest captain in Europe.
“Well, I’m still trying to enjoy it, whether it’s a captain or not,” Donald said. “If I’m not a captain in two years and the captain wants me to be there, I’m sure I’d be happy to help him in any way I can.
“Yes, it’s quite humbling when someone says you’re the best captain. Maybe it’s a bit of a reaction at the moment, but I certainly gave a lot to it. I’m very happy with the results that came with it, but you need those 12 players. You need the backroom teams. You need the vice-captains. You need so many others to make that happen.”
“Certainly, I play a role, but I play a small role in terms of a bigger picture. I certainly couldn’t do this without the great support we have behind me.”
– A reporter then suggested that Donald should motivate the European squad, before asking how one would lead to a winner.
“Well, I kind of disagree with that. I don’t think it’s my job to motivate them,” Donald said. “These are highly motivated players. The Ryder Cup means a lot, and my job is to create a bit of cohesion, make sure we bring all these players together under a common theme and get them inspired so they want to win.
“We talk a lot about our history. We talk a lot about the players who came before us. We talk about our role as ambassadors of the game to inspire the next generations.”
“I think the Ryder Cup has a very deep meaning for a lot of these players and brings out the best in them. So that’s really my job is to create that culture, that environment, where they feel like they can compete at a very high level because of what’s at stake.”
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