European Ryder Cup captain comes up with hilarious name for his new donkey

European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald gave fans a surprise ahead of the 2025 Austrian Alpine Open when he revealed the name of his newly gifted donkey, “Ryder.” Donald is set to play at the event, scheduled from May 29 to June 1, 2025, at the Gut Altentann Golf Club.

The tournament is part of the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai and marks the Tour’s first event in Austria in four years. It is also the third of six counting events in the European Swing.

In a video shared by DP World Tour on X, Donald was gifted the donkey during his time at the tournament. When asked why he named it Ryder, he smiled and shrugged, leaving the answer open to interpretation.

Donald led Team Europe to victory in 2023 and has been reappointed as captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York. He is also joined in the field by vice-captain Edoardo Molinari.

Currently, Luke Donald holds the 763rd position in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). He has played in just four PGA Tour events this season, missing the cut in three of them. Most recently, Donald made the cut at the PGA Championship, finishing tied for 60th place with a total score of 6 over par.

The dates for the 2027 Ryder Cup revealed

The 2027 Ryder Cup will take place from September 17 to 19 at Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland. Ryder Cup Europe confirmed the schedule on May 28, which includes four lead-up days from September 13 to 16 before the matches begin on Friday.

"The official announcement of the dates is always a significant milestone in the Ryder Cup journey for a country and a venue, and we're delighted to today confirm details for the 2027 contest at Adare Manor," said Guy Kinnings, chief executive of the European Tour Group.

It will be the second time Ireland hosts the event, following the 2006 edition at The K Club. Adare Manor, selected as the venue in 2019, previously hosted the Irish Open and underwent a major renovation in 2017.

The upcoming edition will be the 46th in Ryder Cup history and will also mark the event’s 100th anniversary. Kinnings also said that Rory McIlroy’s recent Masters win and the upcoming Open Championship at Royal Portrush have already generated massive excitement around golf in Ireland. He added:

"I am confident that the local community and the people of Limerick and Ireland generally will ensure this event is a wonderful success and that all who attend will want to return to visit Ireland again."

This year’s event takes place from September 26 to 28 at Bethpage Black in New York, with Luke Donald returning as Europe’s captain and Keegan Bradley leading the U.S. team. The captains for 2027 have not yet been announced.