By Riath Al-Samarrai, Daily Mail
Updated at 22:30 on September 24, 2023, 23:37 on September 24, 2023
- Europe captain Luke Donald and Michael Jordan have been friends for years
- Jordan will not attend Rome – his first Ryder Cup absence since 1997
- Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp channel: Get breaking news and exclusives here
Luke Donald Had dinner with Michael Jordan a few weeks ago. It’s not surprising as they have been close friends for years, but the comments about the Ryder Cup were unexpected.
“I think Europe is going to win,” Donald said. “That’s what he told me, but maybe don’t tell the Americans. Take whatever you want from that thing.
Maybe we’re skeptical, because no one is more visible at the Ryder Cup than the U.S. team.
As it happens, Donald revealed that Jordan had informed him that he would not be attending the Marco Simeone Cup in Rome this week, the first cup match he has missed since 1997. In this symbolic arena, players from the European class of 2014 filled their tanks with water. With gold and blue fish in the team room, it might even be seen as an early hole in favor of the home team.
Maybe grasping at straws, but the connection between Jordan and Donald is interesting. They may be an unusual couple, but they’ve been soulmates for more than a decade and live on the same street in a gated community in Jupiter, Florida. At its core are common denominators, as Donald didn’t reach No. 1 by accident in an era of stronger hitters.
“You need some ruthlessness,” said Donald, but his obsession with the cup runs so deep in this strangest of cycles, as evidenced by his being snubbed for captaincy and replaced by Henrik Stenson. Stenson took over at the start, then LIV turned the Swede into captain. head and create an opening.
“I was disappointed not to get it the first time,” he said. “There were a lot of people in the media saying I was probably the favourite, but I didn’t get it, but that’s just a thing of the past. I’ve been given a second chance and I intend to make the most of it.
“I’ve said it many times – my individual career is very solid. But the moments I shared with those teammates and the moments in the Ryder Cup (where he won all four), I’ll stick with him longer. It stays with you. You remember it more because of the shared culture, and you can share it with each other. It will be the greatest moment of my career.”
He has had his work cut out for him since taking over – as well as dealing with the political soap opera of sport, 2021 was marked by a record defeat at Whistling Straits. Team USA also looks stronger on paper this time around, but as always, the question is whether home field advantage and a good captain can close the gap.
As for the latter, it’s always been considered the most over-hyped character in sports, but Donald at least takes it with the utmost seriousness. He frequently crosses the Atlantic to spy on his players, in stark contrast to his American counterpart Zach Johnson, who has the option of visiting LIV golfers but admitted in May he wasn’t even watching on TV their game.
Donald appears to be more diligent, deliberately trying to emulate the detail-oriented style of Bernhard Langer, the captain for whom he made his debut in 2004. “I learned a lot from him,” Donald said. “Over the past 14 months I’ve often woken up at night with lots of thoughts in my mind and written down some of the things I remembered. He’s done an amazing job.
“I think we all feel comfortable coming back to my role as captain and that clarity, consistency is really important and knowing that you don’t know everything and you can learn from other people.”
Cups, of course, are famous for captains who clearly gave their best only to be stoned in defeat. Donald’s team has excellent top players in Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland, as well as the excitement factor of Ludwig Aberg, but the length of its tail makes Team USA a Popular. Donald is pleased Johnson can handle the pressure as they chase their first away win since 1993.
“We have some superstars,” he said. “We have a core of good players and some young guys and with those guys anything is possible. But we are coming off our worst loss ever and Team USA is going to be the betting favorite.
“We will never underestimate the Americans. They are very strong and have some good partnerships. We have our work cut out for us, but I feel very good about our team.”