What Leaders Can Learn From Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup

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He was the first guy in the Ryder Cup team whose name my wife could remember. It was because of word association, mixing in a beloved Star Wars character with a controversial world leader (and golf lover). After this weekend, she knows a lot more about the man. And you know what’s funny about Captain Luke? He is the very definition of Jim Collins’s Level 5 Leader, and if it wasn’t for an extraordinary turn of events, he would never have been able to etch his name into history.

Context: Tony Jacklin was the first European captain to achieve back-to-back wins in 1985 and 1987. This was in the early days of the Ryder Cup being a real contest, after the Europeans joined. This was when the USA, after decades of dominance, thought they were still playing in a friendly exhibition match against inferior opponents. This was when, in 1987, Jack Nicklaus sent his wife to buy up all the American flags she could find to give to the crowd, just so they could stir up some patriotism and excitement, and not be so appreciative of the Europeans. This was a time when Jacklin ambushed the Americans with talent, planning and tactical supremacy. And it is a time long gone.

These days, data rules. Preparation and course setup are critical, and the European and US teams have parity in terms of talent, passion and team chemistry. So it all comes down to the small margins. The small things that make the big differences, the putts that fall, the “luck of the Irish” in terms of weather and circumstance, and the momentum created. Home ground advantage is critical, and in the words of Rory McIlroy: “Winning an away Ryder Cup is the hardest thing in sport.”

Which is why the 2025 Ryder Cup was a masterclass in the power of small margins, engineered by the soft-spoken yet incredibly influential team captain: Luke Donald.

Consider Luke Donald’s pedigree. When Tiger Woods faded from dominance on the world stage, there would be a new superstar in the form of Irishman Rory McIlroy. But before McIlroy, the world number one spot was occupied by Englishman Donald for a two-year spell. He won no Majors. He established no immortality. He was simply the world’s most consistent player, while others won the big titles. South Africans. Irishmen. And a newcomer called Keegan Bradley.

He was a key figure in the Ryder Cups of his era, never playing on a losing side. Significantly, he starred in his rookie year in 2004, not losing any of his team matches, helping Europe to their third away victory. His final outing in 2012 came to be known as the Miracle at Medinah, where he anchored a stunning European comeback to once again triumph on enemy territory. The story of that year was around Ian Poulter, José María Olazábal and the spirit of Seve Ballesteros - but Donald was the quiet component, and his time would come.

But it almost didn’t.

Fast forward to 2022. LIV Golf happens, disrupting the world golf order, and attracts almost the entire leadership funnel for the European and American teams. Stenson, Garcia, Westwood, McDowell and Poulter for the Europeans, and Mickelson, Johnson and Reed for the Americans. Players who were in or about to go into their vice-captaincy tracks to eventual captaincy, following the celebrated succession template. Who was left?

The only men who had served as vice-captains in 2021, and who were logical choices, were Zach Johnson for the Americans, and Luke Donald for the Europeans. And while Johnson stated surprise at being selected, and uncomfortably bungled particularly his wildcard selections and preparation for the tournament, Donald seemed born for command. From the moment he accepted the task, he applied himself with quiet rigour and determined focus. No stone was left unturned to ensure success, and the results spoke for themselves.

When the dust settled on a glorious week at Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy in 2023, Europe had predictably won at home. The Americans capitulated, their lack of cohesion highlighted, their commitment questioned, their insistence on getting paid condemned. And on the other side, a unified and determined European team heaped praise on their captain - and stated an intent to once again do the impossible, and win away from home, with the same team, and the same captain.

History would show that’s exactly what happened. Donald accepted the task of being the first return captain in thirty years, and once again sacrificed his own career aspirations as a player (he is still competitive) to focus on the hardest thing in golf. By luck or by design, he would take almost exactly the same team to the challenging environment of Bethpage Black, two years later. He and his team knew that they would possibly walk into a course that was brutal, a crowd that was hostile to the point of physical violence, and an opposing team composed of a world number one player and the best that the US has to offer.

How did he prepare for the task? I don’t know Luke Donald, but as a leadership coach and consultant, the words he spoke before, during and after, had strong resonance with much of the material I use to mobilise leaders and teams into ultimate effectiveness. He channelled Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits by preparing his charges for the stimuli of the loud and boisterous crowds. They would arrive two weeks early to scout the course, they would use VR headsets to simulate the aggressive taunting, they would be coached and prepped and trained not just on how to putt or drive or approach the greens, but on how to choose their response, how to keep their focus, how to stay dialled in to what needed to be done.

One only needed to look at Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton or Rory McIlroy to understand the almost otherworldly focus and calm they brought to their task. And it wasn’t incidental. Donald used the Four Disciplines of Execution, dialling them into a theme on what was important. Those wildly important goals were broken down into compelling lead measures, and the players responded, each doing their part.

Consider his agreement with Rory. His talisman, the man who they both knew would be an open target for all that the New York crowd would bring. He played him five sessions straight, asking him and his wife to endure an assault and abuse that is unconscionable. But, like all the great coaches and captains of sport, their alliance was the foundation on which all others fed. Rory could and would rise to the attack, and even when it was obvious that all the fun had gone out of it for this former delightful campaigner, he would honour the faith of his captain by never giving up, never giving in, and inspiring his team to further greatness.

Donald also has obviously read Atomic Habits by James Clear, who spoke of how the British Cycling Team transformed from chumps to champs by mastering the 1% improvements. And, like the cyclists, the 2025 Ryder Cup class had better linen, blockouts in their hotel rooms for better sleep, and even better shampoo. Small things matter, and a good night’s sleep is the most important of them all.

But what struck me the most is his conduct in interviews. His players would incessantly praise his leadership, but when asked, he would always deflect all the praise back to them. He would insist on the insignificance of his role, despite all evidence to the contrary. Eloquent, classy and controlled, it was clear that he was the ultimate man manager with a thirst for planning and a steely resolve cloaked in quiet deference. He is a wonderful example of Jim Collins’s Level 5 Leadership, and the calls for a third outing as captain have already started. And that’s the final word on Donald: he has avoided any firm commitment on the topic, because above all else, his word is his bond.

PG’s Pro Tip:

Hell, what to take from this masterclass? Don’t just read the books, bud. Put the lessons into action. If there’s one thing you can learn from Donald, it is that rigorous application matters. Sacrifice is required to turn strategy into tactics and tactics into execution, and you must be OK to ask the world of your team - and know that they will give it to you, because they can expect the same.

This concludes my reflection on an incredible weekend in New York. Caroline is taking up the game, and we have added a golden memory to our collection of epic experiences. I have taken a lot from this. I know I will be back to play this course, I know that showing up for yourself and others sometimes means doing the hard things, and I know that nothing beats focus, preparation and making your own luck. South Africa is a country where we are faced with daily challenges and adversity - but like the European team, we can also weaponise that adversity, and rise to the challenge to create our own story.

Or as Seneca put it: “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” Let’s all go out there and make some of that luck happen.

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