Justin Rose’s supreme raging against the dying of the light has left himself and Team Europe in something of a dilemma. The Englishman had been the natural choice to succeed Luke Donald as captain should the latter not succumb to his players’ chants of “two more years”, but Rose’s tremendous form in New York was further confirmation that his talent is refusing to wane in lockstep with that plan.
The 45-year-old took two points from three matches at Bethpage Black, both coming in the four-balls alongside Tommy Fleetwood, and was the best putter on either team. He was also a veteran beacon of Europe’s defiance, remonstrating with Bryson DeChambeau and mounting a rousing fightback — albeit in vain — against Cameron Young in the singles.
Nursing a hangover after a raucous night of celebration at the team hotel that included vintages of red wine dating back to 1987, Rose conceded the thrill of playing on the team would be difficult to surrender if he still has a strong chance of making it.
Rose and Fleetwood were a formidable pairing in the four-balls at Bethpage, winning both their matches
HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES
“The captaincy would compromise my playing schedule. That’s the decision I haven’t come to terms with or made,” Rose said. “I think there’s a lot of reflection on this. I’m not even sure when this decision needs to be made. There’s no clear path on this, it’s Luke’s decision, first and foremost, to see what he wants to do and then go from there. It remains to be seen.”
The DP World Tour would like to confirm the captain for 2027’s edition at Adare Manor in about six months’ time, and that timeline does feel premature for Rose given he has finished as the runner-up at the Open Championship and the Masters in the past two years, along with winning on the PGA Tour as recently as August and rising to No12 in the world rankings. After Keegan Bradley’s distracted and ultimately disastrous time at the helm of the USA team, Rose will be all too wary of taking on the role while his real priorities remain elsewhere.
“Luke’s given a new dimension to the captaincy: what it means to be a captain, how much effort is involved in it. So he’s set a really high standard,” Rose said. “You’ve got to be ready for that, as and when. But over the years the boys have said you can’t beat playing days. They are the times of your life. Protect that first and foremost.
“I’m still hungry, I’m still enjoying the game. The environment I was in this week is what it’s all about. Even at 45, I’ve never experienced that before so if you can keep having [new] experiences, that’s worth everything.
“As long as I am playing well enough, making Ryder Cups is not what the goal is — the goal is to play and win points and contribute to the team. As long as I think I can do that, then yes, that is very much the goal. The captaincy is not in two years’ time, it starts in two months or something. That’s something I haven’t got my head around and what it means.”
Rose said there is no clear path for him to become captain, especially while Donald has yet to make a decision on his own future
DAVID DAVIES/PA
Rose was entrusted to head out first in the singles on Sunday and the only aberration to his Ryder Cup record is that he has still not won in that format since Medinah in 2012. Having been three down on the back nine against an inspired Young, who previously held the course record at Bethpage Black and was the USA’s most impressive player, Rose rallied using all his craft and guile to level the match, only for the American to snatch victory with a birdie on the 18th.
Rose could then only watch on in agony as Europe cratered until Shane Lowry finally hauled them to 14 points to retain the trophy, then a half-point from Tyrrell Hatton secured overall victory. That ensured the Englishman was part of his fifth winning team in seven appearances for Europe, dating back to his debut in 2008, in another remarkable testament to his longevity.
Read more Ryder Cup reaction
“I think, obviously, reflecting on it now, it was an incredible week,” he said. “The way the singles played out showed what a monumental task it was. Once they got rolling, it was very difficult to win points. The 18th hole, the first two matches, mine and Tommy’s match, the board can flip blue or red. Those are the putts we made all week until Sunday. You have to fight tooth and nail. To get to 14½ points is difficult.
“We broke the back of the week early. To win every session in the team format is incredible, and testament to how we pulled together. We needed that lead. We couldn’t quite believe how well it was going. It was a massive challenge and a huge occasion. It’s a ‘wow, we did it.’ ”
As for the extent of the celebrations afterwards, Rose added: “Everyone was quite measured, wanting to enjoy the moment, be present, not blow the roof off it. To look around, have those memories to last for ever. It was so special, everyone just wanted to be with each other and that was cool.”