However, the hostile encounter in New York – as Europe became the first team to prevail on away soil in 13 years – took it out of the 47-year-old and a contingency is plainly required. There is no set date for an appointment but sources indicate that they would not be prepared to wait until after the season’s first major in April.
Francesco and Edoardo Molinari
Having performed as vice-captain under Donald in Rome and at Bethpage, Francesco would be the obvious successor, but there are whispers of him signing up on a joint-captaincy ticket with his elder sibling. Edoardo is a former Ryder Cup player himself, but has emerged as a stats guru and was seen as Donald’s right-hand man. If Tiger Woods does accept the job as US captain, he could find himself up against two counterparts.
The LIV rebels
If that scenario seems unlikely, then consider the paucity of the other options. Graeme McDowell put his hat in the ring last week in an interview with Bunkered, but LIV players are banned from assuming the role. Even if they change the rules, McDowell will not be skippering in Ireland, regardless of his nationality, and the same goes for fellow LIV players, Ian Poulter and Sergio García. Telegraph Sport has been assured that the selection will come from within.
So will Rose be captain one day, and when?
No doubt, but he will appreciate that he might have to wait until the 2031 match in Spain. There is a growing sense inside Ryder Cup Europe that it makes sense for a captain to do back-to-back stints – starting with a home fixture. Donald believes it was beneficial for Bethpage and it is believed he will highlight this in the debrief procedure. However, it is almost unthinkable that Rose, one of the most respected figures in the world game, will not get his chance one day.
