Three Picks Who Should Be Next European Ryder Cup Captain

With all the recent LIV Golf signings, there is one recent addition who may not make immediate headlines but is sure to impact the sport for months to come.

Just days ago, Greg Norman and LIV Golf announced the signing of three new golfers ahead of their next event in Bedminster on July 29th: Charles Howell III, Jason Kokrak, and most notably, Henrik Stenson.

It’s evident that the peak of Henrik Stenson’s career is well behind him but the Swedish veteran was set to embark on a new milestone: captaining Team Europe in next year’s Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

This was a pretty shocking move by Stenson, who just months ago had stood on the podium for the event and expressed his excitement for the upcoming competition saying:

"“I get goose bumps just thinking about playing in front of the home crowd. To play here in front of passionate Italian fans is going to be spectacular.”"

What was once gratitude by Stenson has now been replaced by disappointment after the Swede was stripped of the Ryder Cup Captaincy following his decision to join LIV.

"“It’s a shame to witness the great uncertainty surrounding the Ryder Cup and who will be able to participate and so on.”"

Three who should fill Henrik Stenson’s shoes as the next European Ryder Cup Captain?

Let’s examine some potential candidates who would be perfect for Team Europe going forward.

Paul Lawrie

Probably the least recognizable name on this list but arguably one of the most respected overall. Lawrie has been considered for this position many times but has come away empty-handed on each occasion.

The 53-year-old Scottish veteran has been a member of Team Europe twice before, in 1999 and once again in 2012. What makes Lawrie such an interesting option this time around is his success on the European Tour.

With 8 European Tour wins, and 16 overall, Lawrie is a legend overseas and has proved that he knows how to dominate European courses throughout his career. That could be a huge advantage over the Americans and something that should certainly be considered during the decision-making process.

Luke Donald

The 44-year-old is well past his prime as well, but at his best, he was one of the best players in the world. Donald was once World No. 1 for 56 straight weeks, that stretch still ranks as one of the longest in the sport’s illustrious history.

Who wouldn’t want a 5-time PGA Winner, someone that won 4 Ryder Cups and who dominated with a 10-4-1 Ryder Cup record, leading them into competition?. At this moment, Donald should arguably be the favorite for the European captaincy.

Rory McIlroy

Okay, now here me out. Out of any current European, is anyone more respected or distinguished than Rory? At 33 years old, the Northern Irishman already has 21 PGA Tour wins & 4 Major Championships.

All of this on top of the fact that McIlroy leads by example, something which is perfect for an event like this.

Already a huge fan favorite, naming Rory captain would be a massive statement by Team Europe and one that would probably make people forget Stenson was even the captain at one point.

While all of this may not even be allowed, it’s still very much an intriguing option.

Only time will tell if any of these names who would be perfect for the role are eventually handed the honor of captaining Team Europe at the 2022 Ryder Cup next fall.

While I am sure that Henrik Stenson is kicking himself for losing out on this prestigious opportunity, the large LIV Golf paychecks may very well make him quickly forget.

Regardless, these players listed will be jumping at the chance to take over and potentially take down the Americans for the first time since 2018.