Henrik Stenson and Luke Donald favored to lead Europe to the 2023 Ryder Cup

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Henrik Stenson and Luke Donald are the top contenders for Europe’s captain in the 2023 Ryder Cup, with Lee Westwood’s move to withdraw his name from the run to leave the European Tour with a decision far from straightforward.

Sources close to the European camp believe Stenson is the obvious frontrunner who will replace Pádraig Harrington for the biennial event if he wants to lead Europe to Italy. Speaking this week at the Hero World Challenge, Stenson suggested he hasn’t decided yet.

“Like a lot of people, I thought Lee was next in line,” Stenson said. “But I’ve heard he now wants to focus on his own game and feel it’s going to be too much clash at this point in his career and in the time frame.

“We’ll see what happens, but I definitely have experience as a vice-captain [at Whistling Straits this year] and we’ll see if we need to wear big shoes in the future. It’s too early to say that but it’s good to be part of the conversation. ”

However, there are complications. Stenson, aged 45, could choose to continue to devote time to his playing career. “I feel, if I can get my arrival where I want it and where it can be, I can have another Ryder Cup with me,” he admitted.

Stenson’s name appearing on the list of players competing in the 2022 Saudi International, a bete noire for the European Tour, is also problematic.

“Obviously there are different moods and Saudi International has been a European Tour event for three years,” Stenson said. “Many of the players you saw announced had agreements to come back and play before we even knew it would be held in the same week as an event on the European Tour. You have players who have signed up for years in a year or so with a promise to go back there and play.

“It was one of those situations and I can only say that I had an arrangement to go back and play. It was a good tournament on the schedule and it adjusted to my schedule again. I will make my promise to go and play there and what will happen in terms of the tour, who knows? I believe there will be a European Tour event in Ras al Khaimah in the same week. The other one, that was earlier in the plan and you can’t be in two places at the same time, I found out a long time ago. ”

However, with the European Ryder Cup captain due to be confirmed early in the new year, Stenson’s connection to Saudi will inevitably raise an eyebrow. Westwood, who swiped the European Tour, is also on the Saudi field.

Donald, in theory, would be a simpler sale even if his reputation in the game is not as strong as Stenson’s. A former world number one, Donald has appeared in four Ryder Cups and is on the winning team every time. Just 43, the Englishman’s playing career has suffered recently but he was a Ryder Cup vice-captain in both 2018 and 2021. That element of succession planning will certainly appeal to the European Tour.

Plus, for now more likely, options for Europe include going to Graeme McDowell or even asking Thomas Bjorn to repeat his victory from Paris in 2018. Anyone who offers European captaincy should also balance the chances of success with the strength of a United States team that boasts a record, 19-9 victory over Wisconsin. Ian Poulter is thought to have his eyes on captaining Europe at Bethpage in 2025. – Guardian

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