Former European player and captain Colin Montgomerie has given Luke Donald his backing to continue as Ryder Cup captain in the hope of securing a historic third-straight win in 2027 at Adare Manor.
Donald further cemented his Ryder Cup legend by guiding Team Europe to a memorable 15-13 over the USA in September, seeing him join Tony Jacklin as the only European captains to win successive Ryder Cups.
Such was Europe's performance, both in Rome in 2023 and two months ago in New York, that it raises the possibility of Donald becoming the first three-time captain since Bernard Gallacher (1991, '95, '97) as he bids to become the first European to skipper three consecutive Ryder Cup wins.
"Three out of three would be extraordinary," Montgomerie told SportNews.
"It was a very brave decision [for Donald] to take it a second time in New York - try to achieve something we hadn't done for almost a generation, to win away from home.
"Because of the success, and the team spirit from Rome, he was given an opportunity, so why not do it again?
"If he was brave enough to do New York, then I'm convinced that he's brave enough to do a third term and win again at home, knowing that our record at home is something that is very special.
"It's one of the great records in world sport, when you think about the last time we lost at home was 1993.
"If I was on that committee, I'd be voting for Luke myself to take on that captaincy for a third time and try to beat Tony Jacklin's record of two and a half wins [from four stints in charge].
"It would be history in the making."
Donald has thus far refused to rule out a third stint as captain for the centenary edition of the Ryder Cup in 2027, but were he to turn the opportunity down, it could leave Europe a little thin for alternative options.
"There's an obvious choice, really. The next up is Justin Rose," Montgomerie added, before ruling out the 45-year-old current world No 10 - part of both of Donald's victorious teams.
"Rose has said: 'look, I want to play'. And I think that's the right decision for Justin - he'll still be good enough to be part of that top 12 in Europe, to try and win the Ryder Cup for a third time in a row.
"So, therefore, that leaves Luke Donald to be captain again.
"It's strange how it's all worked. And I think it's to do with LIV Golf, to be honest.
"We lost a lot of our potential captains when they went to LIV - [Ian] Poulter, [Lee] Westwood, [Henrik] Stenson, [Graeme] McDowell.
"These guys were potential Ryder Cup captains of the future but decided to go another route."
Finally, when asked for his thoughts on the abuse some of the European players were subjected to by American fans at Bethpage Black, Montgomerie - who experienced similar at Brookline in 1999 - said it simply made Europe's win "even sweeter".
Crowd behaviour dominated the headlines in New York and prompted extra security for the Sunday singles after Rory McIlroy's wife Erica had beer thrown at her and the five-time major champion was repeatedly subjected to personal insults.
"It says a lot that the PGA of America [Derek Sprague] wrote to Rory to apologise, because of the personal abuse," Montgomerie said. "It was a very big thing to do and a good thing to do.
"As it did in 1999 with myself, it went a little bit over the top. Of course it did.
"It was always going to be difficult for Europe, playing away from home in New York. But that just made the result even sweeter, to be honest with you because we just didn't win at the golf."
Montgomerie was speaking to SportNews ahead of representing Team Europe in the Skechers World Champions Cup supporting Shriners Children's, from December 4-7.
The Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup-inspired global team competition will feature Team USA, Team International and Team Europe going head-to-head as they battle for international pride and global bragging rights.
