Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald says he is considering resting some of the biggest names during the match against Zach Johnson’s Team USA at Marco Simone.
Typically some European players compete in all five matches across the three days. However, the Italian course is known for its unforgiving undulations while the action is expected to play out in temperatures of up to 30°C (86°F) - factors that have led Donald to consider resting even his biggest stars to ensure they stay fresh.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, the 45-year-old explained his thinking, saying: “It is something we've talked about and discussed with a few players who you'd think would play five and we’ve had conversations with them about what they might be expecting for the week.”
Two of Donald’s team, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland, played in all five matches in Europe’s defeat to the USA at Whistling Straits in 2021, but Donald has admitted that may be out of the question this time round, explaining that is partly to do with the need to ensure all 12 of his players are fresh for the Sunday singles matches.
Viktor Hovland played all five matches in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits
He continued: “Adrenaline is a big thing in the Ryder Cup so if you asked them to play five they would want to play five. But you've got to think about Sunday and the singles because that is 12 points out of the 28. You want some freshness, it is going to be a tiring golf course, could be quite warm.”
Donald certainly appears to be approaching his role meticulously as he plots a way for Team Europe to reclaim the trophy. That was in evidence before the BMW PGA Championship, when the European team took a scouting trip to Marco Simone, and it is continuing with his preparations for tackling the course, although he admitted his decision would come down to how the match starts.
He explained: “Those are things that we've constantly thought about over the past few months and we'll have to decide and make some of those decisions based on play on Friday and Saturday. It is a possibility that some guys who are used to playing five might not play five. They understand the rationale behind it.”
Another sign that Donald is not prepared to leave anything to chance was the appearance of all his players in the tournament at Wentworth. It could hardly have gone better for him either, as all 12 of the team made the cut with seven of the side going on to finish tied for 10th or better.
That’s something Donald, who also played, admitted gave him plenty of encouragement. He said: “Watching the leaderboard there were six in the top six at one point and another few nearby. I’m very happy with their form.”
The Ryder Cup takes place between 29 September and 1 October.
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