Just days after the US Ryder Cup Committee had announced that appointment of a former caddie as Team Manager for the 2025 US Ryder Cup team, European Ryder Cup captain has named Paul McGinley as a ‘strategic advisor’ for next year’s matches in New York.
Having already named Thomas Bjørn and Edoardo Molinari – who were alongside him at Marco Simone last year – as vice captains once again, the addition of McGinley by Donald adds considerable additional know-how and understanding of the Ryder Cup arena to Europe’s build-up and preparation.
The Irishman led Europe to victory in the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, having previously featured on three winning teams as a player, and twice more as a vice captain.
In addition, since 2019, the 57 year old Dubliner has also been part of the Ryder Cup Advisory Committee which was set up to help maximise the commercial impact of the contest. He will continue in that role, alongside Chair Sir Damon Buffini, Ian Ritchie and Richard Scudamore.
“I will be very much in the background as an independent sounding board”
Speaking about his newly created role, McGinley said: “It is clear we have built a very strong template for winning at home in Ryder Cups, but I see my job as helping Luke, his vice captains and his backroom team to look at an away match differently to how we’ve looked at it before.
“I would say that the first important step we made in that regard was to reappoint Luke as captain. He has the most recent experience of anyone in that role and we should look to utilise that experience and harness his knowledge. In addition to advising strategically on an away match, I see this role as two-fold for me. Firstly, I will be very much in the background as an independent sounding board for Luke and his Vice Captains, someone they can confide in, converse with and bounce ideas off.
“Secondly, I will provide an important link between Luke and the Advisory Committee so that not only are they aware of team plans, but also to ensure we are all pulling in the same direction.”
“Paul is someone that you have to listen to when talk turns to the Ryder Cup”
Donald said: “Paul is someone whose thoughts and opinions on golf I have always respected. We have talked a lot over the past few years and those conversations are always stimulating and challenging. He is someone that you have to listen to when talk turns to the Ryder Cup. Naturally, I am delighted to have him formally involved with the 2025 team.
“I might not have been at Gleneagles in 2014, but I know what an amazing job Paul did. He redefined a lot of the Ryder Cup captain’s role with his meticulous approach to it, and I feel every captain since 2014 has benefited in some way from what he achieved at Gleneagles.
“I personally got a lot of sound guidance from Paul in the build up to Rome which was a massive help to me. Myself and Paul, as well as my two Vice Captains, Edoardo and Thomas, all have similar beliefs as to what it means to represent Team Europe and what we expect from our players.”
Donald led Europe to a 16½-11½ victory in Rome last year. He was reappointed to the role in November, becoming Europe’s first repeat captain since Bernard Gallacher led Europe in three consecutive Ryder Cups in 1991, 1993 and 1995.
The former World Number One is now aiming to become only the second captain to lead Europe to victories both home and away, following Tony Jacklin who achieved the double at Muirfield Village in 1987, retaining the Ryder Cup following his team’s victory two years previously at The Belfry in 1985.
Last week saw the US Ryder Cup Committee appoint John Wood, a six-time Ryder Cup caddie, to the new role of Team Manager, an advisory position that is separate to that of team captain, a job that has yet to be filled by the US team.
