Luke Donald would be ‘delighted’ to face Tiger Woods at 2025 Ryder Cup | Golf Today | Golf Channel

Luke Donald joins Golf Today to discuss the opportunity to be NBC’s lead analyst at the Cognizant Classic, his biggest regret from the 2023 Ryder Cup and the potential of facing Tiger Woods in the 2025 Ryder Cup. #GolfChannel #GolfToday #LukeDonald #TigerWoods
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Luke Donald would be ‘delighted’ to face Tiger Woods at 2025 Ryder Cup | Golf Today | Golf Channel
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LEAD ANALYST FOR NBC IN THIS WEEK’S COVERAGE IN SOUTH FLORIDA, LUKE, THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M CURIOUS WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THAT VICTORY IN 2006, THAT WAS YOUR SECOND ON TOUR. THERE WERE ANOTHER THREE AFTER THAT. THAT WAS THE EARLY DAYS OF THE

POWER ERA THAT’S KIND OF OVERTAKEN PROFESSIONAL ELITE GOLF. DID YOU HAVE A SENSE THAT THE NUMBER OF VENUES WERE DIMINISHING ON TOUR WHERE A GUY OF YOUR STRENGTH COULD EXPECT TO COMPETE WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT? >> ABSOLUTELY. OBVIOUSLY I GREW UP COMING ON

TOUR, 2002 WAS MY FIRST YEAR. TIGER HAD BEEN VERY DOMINANT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND SHOWED THAT, KRYOU KNOW, HITTING THE BL VERY FAR AND DOING OTHER THINGS WELL WAS A GREAT RECIPE FOR SUCCESS. IN 2006, I WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW I COULD HIT THE BALL FURTHER.

I TRIED TO DO THAT A LITTLE BIT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. 2008 AT THE OPEN IN TORREY PINES, I INJURED MYSELF. I HURT MY WRIST. I WAS OUT OF THE GAME FOR SIX MONTHS. PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT THROUGH TRYING TO HIT THE BALL TOO FAR,

AND AT THAT POINT, AFTER AN INJURY AND A REAL SETBACK, THEN I KIND OF TOOK STOCK OF HOW I COULD BE THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, INJURING MYSELF FURTHER. SO I ENDED UP GOING A DIFFERENT ROUTE BY TRYING TO WORK FROM THE

HOLE BACKWARDS, BEING THE BEST PUTTER, SHORT GAME PLAYER, BEST WEDGE PLAYER I COULD BE, AND DOING IT THAT WAY. IT’S CERTAINLY NOT THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT. AND THAT’S OBVIOUSLY WHAT MADE ME VERY PROUD THAT I STILL HAD TO GET TO THE WORLD NUMBER ONE,

AND AGAIN, IT’S INFLUENCED A LOT BY THE POWER PLAYERS. >> LED YOU TO AMAZING HEIGHTS. YOU HAVE SO MUCH ON YOUR PLATE. YOU’RE OBVIOUSLY PLAYING PROFESSIONAL GOLF. REPRISING YOUR ROLE AS EUROPEAN RYDER CUP CAPTAIN, BUSINESS INTERESTS OUTSIDE THE ROPES AND OFF THE COURT. WHY TAKE OFF BROADCASTING NOW.

>> IT’S SOMETHING I DID BACK IN 2018. I DID A COUPLE STINTS, THE U.S. OPEN AT SHINNECOCK, THE BMW AT WENTWORTH FOR SKY SPORTS. I WAS OUT WITH A BACK INJURY. KIND OF ENJOYED THAT SIDE OF IT A LITTLE BIT, AND THIS WAS AN

OPPORTUNITY NBC CAME TO ME AND SAID THEY’RE LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL PEOPLE DOWN THE ROAD TO FULFILL, YOU KNOW, THE LEAD ANALYST JOB, AND I WAS CERTAINLY ON THEIR RADAR. SO I THINK IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TRY OUT FOR A

COUPLE OF WEEKS TO SEE IF I WAS ANY GOOD AT IT. TO SEE IF I LIKED IT. SO SEE IF THEY THOUGHT I WAS ANY GOOD AT IT. SO WE’LL SEE, IT’S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FOR ME. I’VE DONE A LITTLE BIT IN THE PAST, BUT REALLY VERY LITTLE.

I’M EXCITED FOR THESE NEXT TWO WEEKS. AS I SAID, HOPEFULLY THIS IS A LITTLE BIT LESS STRESSFUL THAN ACTUALLY HAVING TO PLAY THE BEAR TRAP THIS WEEK. >> DO YOU WORRY ABOUT UPSETTING YOUR COMMENTARY, LUKE, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, YOU TOUR PLAYERS

ARE A LITTLE BIT OVERLY SENSITIVE TO CRITICISM AT TIMES. >> HOPEFULLY THE PLAYERS HAVE THICK ENOUGH SKIN. AS LONG AS IT’S DONE IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY, YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY THINK THAT’S PART OF ANIRBA AN ANALYST’S ROLE IS TO BE CRITICAL AND SEE WHETHER THEY’VE

GOT WRONG, AND COMMENT ON THAT. BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND AS A PLAYER THAT’S STILL PLAYING THAT THIS GAME IS VERY DIFFICULT. AGAIN, I’M NOT GOING TO BE OVERLY CRITICAL BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE TIME CALLS FOR IT, THEN, YES, I SEE A MISTAKE IN A

TECHNIQUE OR THINGS THAT I THINK THEY COULD DO DIFFERENT TO MAYBE IMPROVE, HOPEFULLY THEY’LL SEE THE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, RATHER THAN TAKING IT THE WRONG WAY. >> YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND THE GAME FOR A LONG TIME. WHO ARE THE VOICES YOU HAVE LISTENED TO OVER IN YEAR OR

STATESIDE IN THE U.S. THAT YOU ALIGN WITH OR FELT LIKE THEY’RE VOICES THAT YOU CAN TAKE SOMETHING FROM AS YOU CHART YOUR OWN COURSE IN THE ANALYST’S ROLE? >> YEAH, SO MANY GREAT ANNOUNCERS IN GOLF IN JIM IN ACCORDANCE AND DAN HICKS, I’M

FORTUNATE TO BE SITTING NEXT TO HIM THIS WEEK. PEOPLE THAT HAVE SO MUCH EXPERIENCE. NICK FALDO, TREVOR IMMELMAN, MIKE THIRICO, TRYING TO GLEAN A LITTLE BIT FROM THEM FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. THE SAME THING I DID WITH MY CAPTAINS IN THE RYDER CUP, TRY

TO TALK TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN, GLEAN LITTLE BITS, WHAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE HELPFUL, WHAT I THINK IS INTERESTING, AND PUT MYSELF OUT THERE AND SEE HOW I DO. >> SPEAKING OF THAT RYDER CUP CAPTAIN SI, WITH THE SIX RYDER

CUPS BIND YOU, I’M CURIOUS WHAT YOUR TAKE AWAY — >> THERE’S A LOT MORE IN THE TROPHY CABINET HERE. THERE IS SEVEN. >> THAT’S SENDING A MESSAGE TO WHOEVER YOU’RE GOING UP AGAINST AT BETHPAGE IN TWO YEARS RIGHT AWAY. THERE’S A QUESTION WE NEVER ASK

WINNERS, I’M CURIOUS COMING OUT OF ROME. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST REGRET AT ROME, SOMETHING YOU THOUGHT YOU DIDN’T DO AS WELL AS YOU MIGHT HAVE AND HOW YOU INTEND TO RECTIFY THAT HEADING TO BETHPAGE NEXT YEAR? >> IT’S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THE PREPARATION WENT

WELL, AND OBVIOUSLY THE START WE GOT OFF TO WAS A DREAM START, AND YOU KNOW, FROM THEN ON, YOU KNOW, OUR CHANCES WERE VERY MUCH ELEVATED AFTER THAT FIRST MORNING, I THINK. THE SINGLES, I STRUGGLED A LITTLE BIT JUST KNOWING EXACTLY

WHERE TO GO AND HOW TO TALK TO THE PLAYERS. IT’S A FINE LINE BETWEEN GETTING IN THE WAY OF THEM AND THEIR CADDIES BECAUSE THEY KNOW EACH OTHER SO WELL AND WHAT TO SAY, BUT THERE WERE TIMES WHERE I FELT LIKE SOME OF THE PLAYERS

HAD THEIR HEADS DOWN A LITTLE BIT, AND I COULD HAVE GONE UP TO THEM AND ENCOURAGED THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE AND GOT THEM ON THE RIGHT PATH. I THINK THAT’S THE ROLE OF THE CADDY. I DIDN’T WANT TO OVER STEP MY

MARK BUT I COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB, CERTAINLY ON SUNDAY. >> THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS RUMBLINGS THAT YOU’RE GOING TO GO UP AGAINST TIGER WOODS AS A CAPTAIN AT BETHPAGE NEXT YEAR. WOULD THAT INTIMIDATE YOU? IMPACT HOW YOU CHOOSE TO DO THE

JOB GOING INTO THAT RYDER CUP? >> NOT AT ALL. I WOULD BE DELIGHTING TO GO AGAINST TIGER. I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT. HE’S THE GUY WE ALL LOOKED UP TO IN TERMS OF WHAT HE DID ON THE GOLF COURSE. JUST ONE OF THE GREATEST, IF NOT

THE GREATEST TO EVER PLAY, AND I GOT TO PLAY AGAINST HIM A FEW TIMES IN RYDER CUPS. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK MY JOB IS TOTALLY SEPARATE TO WHAT HE’S DOING. I CAN’T CONTROL HOW HE GOES ABOUT HIS JOB. I KNOW OBVIOUSLY HAVING DONE

THIS FOR 14 MONTHS, WHAT IS REQUIRED, AND IT WILL BE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES THIS YEAR, BEING AWAY AND BEING IN BETHPAGE IN THAT KIND OF HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT. IT’S MORE ABOUT ME CONCENTRATING ON WHAT I CAN DO TO GIVE MY GUYS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY AND NOT

WORRY ABOUT WHAT TAEAM USA IS DOING. >> ATHERE’S ONLY BEEN ONE ROAD TEAM TO WIN THE RYDER CUP FOR THE LAST 15 PLUS YEARS. IT’S ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO DO IN ALL OF SPORT. IT’S ALMOST LIKE A TEAM WINNING

ON THE ROAD AGAINST THE TOP TEN FOOTBALL TEAM IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL, HOW RARE IT HAS BEEN IN RECENTLY MEMORY. FROM A MENTALITY STANDPOINT, WHAT CONVERSATIONS WILL YOU HAVE WITH YOUR GUYS THAT COULD MAYBE INCLUDE PEOPLE IN OTHER SPORTS OR OTHER DISCIPLINES TO HELP

THEM JUST FROM A PSYCHE STANDPOINT, HAVING THE RIGHT MINDSET GOING INTO THAT UNDERTAKING. >> THE THINGS I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT OVER THE LAST MONTH OR TO SINCE TAKING ON THIS ROLE. THAT’S THE BIG ADVANTAGE WE HAVE IN ROME WAS THE HOME SUPPORT,

AND THAT’S SUDDENLY A BIG DISADVANTAGE. HOW DO YOU TURN THAT AROUND. HOW DO YOU SOMEHOW, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU GET STRONGER WITH SUCH A HOSTILE CROWD AGAINST YOU, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT DOES MEAN TALKING TO, YOU KNOW, OTHER SPORTS, OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE VERY WELL.

YOU KNOW, JUST DOING MY RESEARCH, AND THEN FIGURING OUT, YOU KNOW, WHICH PLAYERS THRIVE IN THOSE KIND OF CONDITIONS. MAYBE WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO MY PICKS THAT I’LL BE THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THAT STUFF, PERSONALITY MATCHUPS AND HOW THEY THRIVE IN THOSE VERY

DIFFICULT SITUATIONS. >> WE’RE BOTH LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN THE BOOTH THIS WEEK. THANKS FOR JOINING US ON “GOLF TODA