England’s Luke Donald was named the European Ryder Cup captain for 2023 on Monday, replacing Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who was stripped of his captaincy after joining the new LIV Golf Invitational Series.
Donald, who was part of four winning European teams as a player, will captain the team at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club outside Rome, from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1, 2023.
“I am incredibly proud to be named European Ryder Cup Captain for 2023,” Donald said in a statement. “It is truly one of the greatest honours that can be bestowed upon a golfer, to lead a team of your peers and be an ambassador for an entire continent. I feel extremely privileged to have been given that responsibility and it is a responsibility I do not take lightly.”
Stenson was removed as Ryder Cup captain after signing with LIV Golf on July 20. Stenson won the third LIV Golf event this past weekend at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. He collected more than $4 million in prize money.
“I guess we can agree I played like a captain,” Stenson said during the LIV Golf telecast Sunday after finishing at 11-under 202.
Donald, 44, was the No. 1 player in the world for 56 weeks, beginning in May 2011. The former Northwestern star has won five times on the PGA Tour, most recently in 2012, and seven times on the European Tour.
Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn and Italy’s Edoardo Molinari will serve as Donald’s vice captains in Rome. Zach Johnson will be the American team captain.