Luke Donald has replaced Henrik Stenson as Ryder Cup captain. Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Luke Donald named Ryder Cup captain for Europe

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 8/1/22

Looks like Team Europe has found its new captain, as it was announced early Monday that Luke Donald will lead the European side at the Ryder Cup, which kicks off the next 2022-23 season at the end of September.

We're delighted to announce @LukeDonald as 2023 European Ryder Cup Captain pic.twitter.com/76P9F8Cl10
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) August 1, 2022

The Englishman 44, has played on four Ryder Cup teams and served as a vice-captain in 2018 and at the start of the 2021-22 season.

Donald's appointment to the captaincy comes on the heels of Swedish golf pro Henrik Stenson being stripped of the honor when he chose to defect from the PGA and DP World Tours to play in the LIV Golf Invitational last month.

Prior to being named captain, Donald made headlines for taking a shot at Stenson for his decision to go up for the captaincy and then defect to the Saudi Arabia-funded breakaway league.

"If I got this captaincy I would live up to my word and see it through," Donald said, via Golf week. "Let me put it that way. I wouldn’t be doing a Henrik."

However, Donald did say after being named captain on Monday that the "door is still open" for European players to be on his Ryder Cup team — if the powers that be determine that they can participate.

Luke Donald tells me the door is still open for European golfers playing with LIV to be part of his Ryder Cup team in Rome. Says it’s “out of his hands” and part of an ongoing legal dispute but that - in theory, as things stand - Henrik Stenson could be a player on his team
— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) August 1, 2022