Donald\u2019s side have stayed deeply in touch with the history of the event throughout his time in charge in Rome and New York, and so they know that their leader has also developed one of the all-time great Ryder Cup careers.<\/p>\n
The Englishman\u2019s record as a player and captain has him stand among the sport\u2019s elite.<\/p>\n
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He also came to the defence of a controversial long-time rule that his counterpart Keegan Bradley urged to be scraped after it benefited the Europeans.<\/p>\n
Bradley endured another tough loss in his third time being part of the Ryder Cup, and it means one of his pre-tournament promises will remain unfilled, perhaps forever.<\/p>\n
Scroll down for the biggest talking points from the final day of the 2025 Ryder Cup!<\/p>\n
READ MORE RYDER CUP NEWS<\/p>\n
FINAL DAY WRAP: Ryder Cup rollercoaster! Europe holds on to thwart US miracle<\/a><\/p>\n \ufeff\u2018F***ING SATISFYING\u2019: Victorious Rory responds to \u2018astonishing\u2019 Ryder Cup crowd <\/a><\/p>\n \u2018WORST BEHAVIOUR I\u2019VE SEEN\u2019: Golf world outraged by \u2018disgraceful\u2019 Cup crowd<\/a><\/p>\n ‘I’m quite an impulsive character’ | 01:03<\/p>\n \ufeff\u2018PRETTY EFFING CLOSE\u2019: AWAY WIN UP THERE WITH GAME\u2019S BIGGEST FEATS<\/p>\n For Europe\u2019s top players, winning an away Ryder Cup is almost at the pinnacle of golfing accomplishments.<\/p>\n Victory in New York was Europe\u2019s fifth win on US soil, and third this century after 2004 at Oakland Hills and 2012 at Medinah.<\/p>\n The US on the other hand boast just two away victories in what has been an event dominated by the home side.<\/p>\n Europe\u2019s thrashing of the Americans in Rome two years ago, and America\u2019s belting of Europe at Whistling Straits in 2021, were emblematic of that lopsidedness.<\/p>\n It was also why Luke Donald\u2019s team required such a big effort to win the Cup again, made to fight until the end by an American comeback.<\/p>\n Shane Lowry, who drained a ten foot putt to secure the half point that guaranteed the Cup would be retained, summed up how much it meant to him besides the 18th green, saying, \u201cthe Ryder Cup means everything to me\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI won the Open in Ireland and it was a dream come true, but the Ryder Cup for me is everything,\u201d the Irishman added.<\/p>\n Lowry explodes after Ryder Cup win | 01:24<\/p>\n Lowry\u2019s best friend Rory McIlroy is another who has always held representing Europe on a pedestal.<\/p>\n Once McIlroy achieved his personal dream of winning a green jacket and completely the career grand slam at The Masters in April, it felt like his entire year was geared towards building up for Bethpage Black.<\/p>\n It paid off as he contributed 3.5 points, only losing his singles match against Scottie Scheffler, and fulfilled his premonition after Rome that they would triumph in New York.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice to be right. I\u2019m not right all the time. I have absolute confidence in this team, absolute confidence in our leader, Luke Donald. The vice captains, the backroom staff, the things that people don\u2019t see behind the scenes,\u201d McIlroy said. <\/p>\n \u201cI think we won in Rome, and the wheels were set in motion to try to do something that had not been done in over a decade.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we talked today, 11 of the 12 on the team are the same; the captain is the same. We believed a lot in our continuity, and I believe that we had a really special group in Rome, and I felt like we had a real — look, I said that in the euphoria of winning a Ryder Cup, but I really felt like we had definitely way more of a chance than we had in Whistling Straits in 2021. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, I was bullish about our chances, but this has just been a dream week.\u201d<\/p>\n ‘He’s in your head!’ Europeans troll USA | 00:32<\/p>\n McIlroy withstood the barrage of abuse he received from the US crowd all week, but he broke down in tears during the European team\u2019s press conference when Donald talked about how much the Ryder Cup means to his talisman, and how much he means to the team.<\/p>\n \u201cRory has made no qualms about how important the Ryder Cup is to him, and I think that\u2019s inspiring to me. It\u2019s inspiring to his team,\u201d Donald said. <\/p>\n \u201cYou know, maybe not quite on the same level as winning the Grand Slam and the Masters, but it\u2019s pretty effing close. It really is. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s talked to me about it many times, about how he wants to win an away Ryder Cup and how difficult that is. <\/p>\n \u201cTo have someone of Rory\u2019s calibre fighting so hard, that\u2019s inspiring for the team. <\/p>\n \u201cYou know, obviously you can\u2019t do it alone but it\u2019s very helpful when someone like Rory is contributing like he does.\u201d<\/p>\n McIlroy targeted by beer throwing fan | 00:27<\/p>\n EUROPE\u2019S GREATEST EVER CAPTAIN?<\/p>\n European captain Luke Donald has built one of the all-time great Ryder Cup resumes as a player and captain.<\/p>\n In the aftermath of Europe\u2019s victory in New York, former professional turned analyst Brandel Chamblee told European team adviser Paul McGinley on Live from The Ryder Cup that one of the biggest positives about the emergence of LIV Golf, was Donald becoming European captain.<\/p>\n It has not been forgotten by the European players themselves with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry poking fun at American reporters about their predictions of US dominance back in 2022.<\/p>\n \u201cYou guys told us we wouldn\u2019t win one for 20 years though,\u201d Lowry said after a reporter asked a question how Europe have dominated the past decade and well-placed to do again in the coming decade.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about the dominance?\u201d McIlroy then chimed in with.<\/p>\n But among many sections of the golf community, it has largely been forgotten that the European Ryder Cup team was largely believed to be in shambles when LIV began disrupting the men\u2019s professional game.<\/p>\n Henrik Stenson was locked in to be European captain in Rome, but Donald was brought in as his replacement when the Swede crossed to LIV.<\/p>\n Stenson was relegated from LIV Golf this year<\/a> in a stunning fall from grace, while the Europeans have coped without Ryder Cup stalwarts Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood.<\/p>\n The veterans were all tipped to have captaincy stints when their play no longer warranted selection, and the vacuum created by their departures was set to usher in an era of America dominance.<\/p>\n But that has obviously not been the case at all, with Donald instead rallying his troops with his outstanding leadership.<\/p>\n After the second day\u2019s play, McGinley spoke at length about how the Englishman had united the group behind their belief that players should not be paid to compete in the Ryder Cup<\/a>, while the Americans went in the other direction for the first time.<\/p>\n Donald also left no stone unturned as he made sure every little detail was taken care of.<\/p>\n \u201cMy job is literally to give these guys a better chance to win. It can be as simple as some very small things,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll give you an example. At the hotel rooms this week, the doors to our hotel rooms had a big crack that let in light. We brought things that covered the light. We put different shampoos that had a better smell.<\/p>\n \u201cWe changed the bedding because the beds weren\u2019t very good, and they just had sheets, and we created much nicer beds so guys could sleep. They could have more energy.<\/p>\n \u201cThose are just little things. I\u2019m going into some really small details.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cIt\u2019s just taking the time and having the care that you want to do everything you can to kind of give these guys the best opportunity. <\/p>\n \u201cYou want create an environment where they can succeed. These are 12 amazing players, we know that. You\u2019re just trying to, again, put them in a position where they feel comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n Europeans reveal secret to Ryder Cup win | 01:24<\/p>\n Such genuine care for the players and their families is why the European team carried on the fans\u2019 chants of \u201ctwo more years\u201d in the press conference, although Donald remained coy, saying he will simply enjoy the celebrations now.<\/p>\n He is only the second European captain ever – after Tony Jacklin – to win home and away Ryder Cups, having also won the Cup four times as a player, including twice on American soil.<\/p>\n It is a formidable record that makes the former world No.1 a no-brainer for the job in Ireland in two years\u2019 time, if he wants it.<\/p>\n He would be only the third European captain to lead in three Ryder Cups in a row, after Bernard Gallacher and Jacklin.<\/p>\n Jon Rahm, who delivered three points across the five sessions, showed that Donald\u2019s regime is not exclusive from LIV golfers either, with the Spaniard and Tyrell Hatton playing crucial roles as the fiery Englishman secured the winning half a point.<\/p>\n Rahm clearly wants Donald to go around, describing him as \u201cperfect\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so many things that Luke has done outstandingly professionally, so perfect, that it\u2019s hard to say one,\u201d the former world No.1 said. <\/p>\n \u201cWithout getting too much into it, the level of professionalism he\u2019s shown us the last four years, his attention to detail in his post and his knowledge of Ryder Cup and the game and what we do on the golf course day in can day out is what made these last two Ryder Cups possible. <\/p>\n \u201cHe is the captain of this ship, and he\u2019s led us better than I can see anybody leading us. He set the bar extremely high for the future captains.\u201d<\/p>\n On the opposite side of the fence, US captain Keegan Bradley said he was up against \u201cthe best European Ryder Cup Captain of all time, Luke Donald\u201d. <\/p>\n It\u2019s a moniker that is sure to be shared around more frequently in the wash up from New York.<\/p>\n READ MORE RYDER CUP NEWS<\/p>\n \ufeff\u2018UNACCEPTABLE\u2019: McIlroy\u2019s wife left in tears as ugly Ryder Cup crowd chaos hits new low<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018GET THE F*** AWAY\u2019: Ryder Cup chaos as caddies, captains and stars involved in \u2018nasty\u2019 incident<\/a><\/p>\n DAY 2 TALKING PTS: Rory overcomes \u2018very personal\u2019 abuse as Ryder Cup money row unites Europe<\/a><\/p>\n