The Ryder Cup is golf’s ultimate spectacle, a contest where continental pride, pressure, and camaraderie collide. For Team Europe, the man tasked with leading the charge is Luke Donald. A victorious captain over Team USA two years ago in Rome, the former World Number One now prepares his squad for the immense challenge of winning the trophy on American soil, a task of which he’s leaving no stone unturned.
A man with a discerning eye, Donald understands that every detail matters—right down to what his players are wearing (Loro Piana, if you’re asking). From the strategic selection of player pairings to fostering team unity, Donald’s preparations are a masterclass in meticulousness, as evidenced by a key part of that being the uniform, an element that contributes to confidence and a unified front.
Esquire Middle East spoke to the Captain to better understand the unique challenges of the Ryder Cup and why, for him, a champion’s performance is always a matter of style as much as substance.
ESQUIRE: As Captain of Team Europe, what input do you have into the uniforms during development?
LUKE DONALD: I’ve been lucky to have seen the designs from an early stage and provided my input, and I’m really happy with how the team will look both on and off the course. I come from a strong artistic background—I even studied art as a major at college. I think having an interest in art and fashion goes hand-in-hand in many ways, so I’ve always taken a keen interest in the uniforms. I’ve also been lucky to have had some of the best fashion brands as personal sponsors over the years, with their talented teams helping me understand the latest trends.
ESQ: Which one of the three days’ competitive uniforms for this year’s edition is your favourite?
LUKE DONALD: On the match days, the team will wear sky blue on Friday, kummel on Saturday, and white, accented by the colours of the European flag, on Sunday. The team will also have special uniforms for the practice days, but we are keeping the details of that under wraps until the week of the event. It’s hard to pick a favourite as they are all great, but I always have a soft spot for the Sunday outfit—especially if we win!
ESQ: What were some of the unexpected learnings you took from the experience of working with Loro Piana on the uniforms?
LUKE DONALD: The attention to detail, particularly the use of technology. For example, Loro Piana has used 3D technology to simulate the clothing’s reaction during the swing to make sure it performs as we need it to. Those little features are fascinating. This resonated with me, as I was never the longest hitter so I worked hard to ensure that I achieved excellence and precision in other areas of my game, particularly my irons and my short game. My stats when I reached World Number One were certainly reflective of that,
and that work ethic and attention to detail is something I’ve taken forward into my captaincy. I’ve tried to be meticulous in my preparation to create an environment so that the team can compete to the best of their abilities.
ESQ: The outfits play an important part of the pageantry of the Ryder Cup, but in a sport like golf where the finest of margins count, do the outfits impact performance?
LUKE DONALD: Outfits can definitely impact your performance on the course. For me, comfort is essential when playing golf. You need to make sure you wear clothing that does not hinder a full range of movement, especially when it’s raining. Confidence is also so important in golf, particularly at the professional level, and I do think that if you feel confident in how you look, then it can help your performance.
ESQ: Wearing the same uniform as your teammates helps generate camaraderie, what other ways do you try to foster that spirit within Team Europe?
LUKE DONALD: It’s about creating the right culture. That’s something I worked hard on going into Rome and I have done again so far in the lead up to this year. Communication is an important part of that. I have regular communication with the players and keep that bond strong throughout the two years. Unity is something we’ve become renowned for as Team Europe and as Captain you try to stay true to that but also build on it and move it forward with each Ryder Cup.
ESQ: Personally, when you are picking an outfit to play a competitive round in, what do you include?
LUKE DONALD: I am associated with wearing a visor when playing, so I guess that has become an integral part of my ‘look’.
ESQ: Why is winning the Ryder Cup on foreign soil so hard?
LUKE DONALD: The home team is able to set up the golf course to suit their players, so they have that advantage. The crowd is also very partisan. New York fans in particular love their sport, so we expect them to cheer hard for their team. The Ryder Cup is already high pressure environment—probably the most pressure you can face as a professional golfer—and that is heightened during an ‘away’match. But at the end of the day, the Ryder Cup is special because of the energetic atmosphere. We know it will be a big challenge, but we have a few different strategies to help the players prepare for this environment.
ESQ: What benefit, if any, does your experience in leading Team Europe last time have this year?
LUKE DONALD: Whenever you do something the second time round, you have the benefit of being able to take the learnings and build on them, or the opposite. But it is going to be a different experience this year, being an away Ryder Cup, so that will definitely affect our preparations. There is a huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes, which surprised me first time round. As a player, you just focus on yourself and your game—everything is done to enable you to turn up and perform your best. As Captain, you get a different perspective and see the level of preparation that goes into an event of this magnitude. I spent a lot of time in meetings with staff, working on uniforms, team rooms, schedule of events etc. All those details you don’t think about as a player. It definitely helps this time round having done it before as you know what to expect and the time requirements.
ESQ: When do you finalise your team’s playing pairings? And how much do personal relationships between players factor into your decision-making?LUKE DONALD: We officially announce the opening pairings during the Opening Ceremony. After that, the pairings for the Saturday sessions, and Sunday singles, are submitted an hour after the conclusion of each prior session. I work closely with my Vice Captains, using the statistical information to determine our parings. It helps us finalise the team itself too, in terms of my captains picks. We take several factors into account to see how players pair together both for foursome and fourballs and also the golf course itself is one of those factors.
Team Europe play Team USA at the Ryder Cup 2025 on Sept 26 to 28, Bethpage Black, New York. rydercup.com
