Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari listed as early favorites Luke Donald As the next Europe Ryder Cup Captain, GolfMagic understands.
This week, the DP World Tour broke the news that Rose and Molinari will compete as captains in the second edition of the biennial Team Cup, which will be held from January 10 to 12, 2025.
The 2025 Team Cup will be held at the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort.
Related: Justin Rose tells incredible Ryder Cup story: 'Chaos! It was horrible…'
Molinari, 41, led the Continental European team to the 2023 Team Cup by four strokes over Tommy Fleetwood's Great Britain and Ireland.
Rose, 44, will take over as captain from Fleetwood and prepares to captain the team for the first time in a team event on the DP World Tour.
Two major champions and European Ryder Cup hero will lead their respective teams 10 DP World Tour members compete in a three-day match play tournament.
Donald, 46, the current European Ryder Cup captain, will officiate the tournament in the United Arab Emirates, as he will do in 2023.
Francesco Molinari and Justin Rose to face off in 2025 Team Cup
Donald was captain of the 2023 Marco Simeone European Ryder Cup-winning team in Rome, and the former world number one will lead the team again in September 2025 away from home at Bethpage Black.
Unlike last year’s Team Cup where all players were ‘captain’s pick’, the 2025 Team Cup will feature the top four members of the Continental European and British and Irish teams from the 2024 Race to Dubai final standings, with the remaining five players from both sides to be chosen by Ross and Molinari in consultation with Donald.
The Team Cup was created by the DP World Tour and Donald to not only provide players with a richer experience of playing as a team, but also to help them build connections and partnerships with other members, which could be crucial in future Ryder Cup matches.
The players competing in the 2023 Team Cup and representing Europe in the Ryder Cup are Nicolai Højgaard and Sepp Straka (Continental Europe) and Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry and Robert MacIntyre (Great Britain and Ireland).
As in 2023, teams will play one fourball match on Friday, two fourball matches on Saturday and one singles match on Sunday, with every player playing in all four matches.
Each match counts for one point, and the team that scores more than 12.5 points wins the team cup.
Scroll down to hear from Donald, Molinari and Ross…
Luke Donald
“I’m delighted that the Team Cup is back as it provided valuable experience for many of the players last year,” said Donald.
“I think all of us gained a lot from the week because we got to experience the uniqueness of the team environment.
“With past Ryder Cup captains on hand to speak to players during the tournament, it also gives everyone involved an idea of what it means to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup.”
“I’m excited that Francisco and Justin will be captains.
“We saw what Francesco is capable of when he led the Continental team to a huge win in 2023, and Justin performed well on and off the field last year for Marco Simeone. I'm excited to see them go head to head.”
Francesco Molinari
Continental captain Molinari said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to captain the Continental team again and to strive to successfully defend the Team Cup.
“It's such a special week in 2023 and it's great to see players from different countries working towards the same goal. I have a lot of respect for Justin, he's a great competitor and it's a challenge to go against him and his team and I'm really enjoying it.”
England and Ireland captain Ross said: “It’s going to be strange playing against Fran in a match play tournament and not being on the same side as him, but it’s something I’m really looking forward to, even though I know it’s going to be tough because of Fran’s history not only in this tournament but in the Ryder Cup as well.
“But there is so much talent from the UK and Ireland on the DP World Tour at the moment and it would be fantastic to have the opportunity to build them into a winning team.”
Justin Rose
Following the latest news from this week’s Team Cup, we have confirmation from a leading bookmaker that both Rose and Molinari are now the front-runners for the European Ryder Cup Captaincy in 2027 at Adare Manor in Ireland.
GolfMagic has also heard from a source that Donald serving as captain for a third consecutive Ryder Cup in 2027 is “extremely unlikely.”
But much will depend on how the Europeans perform in New York.
Our Ryder Cup-related source believes that “Rose and Molinari now have the perfect opportunity to prove themselves capable of succeeding Donald as the next European Ryder Cup captain, while Molinari will also get another chance to prove his worth after winning the team cup in 2023.”
Tiger Woods is understood to be the favorite to be the 2027 US Ryder Cup captain, especially as he turned down the PGA of America’s invitation to serve as the 2025 captain.
Luke Donald
Fans can now register for free general admission tickets to the 2025 Team Cup, with premium experience options also available in the Trophy Lounge.
The Championship Village will feature an array of activities for all the family members including food and beverage outlets, picnic areas and live entertainment.
For those who want a high-quality experience at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort, we also offer Premium Experience options.
Guests can enjoy five-star dining in a relaxing setting, in the air-conditioned clubhouse or on the shaded viewing terrace.
In addition to a beverage package of hops, cereals and soft drinks, breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea are also available.
For more information on General Admission and Premium Experience tickets, Click here.
