“Great memories from when I played” – Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald gets nostalgic while praising 2023 Irish Open

Following the conclusion of the Irish Open, Europe's Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has said that the event brought back fond memories of the 2006 Ryder Cup, when the K Club hosted the biennial event.

Donald shot an even-par 72 in the final round of the 2023 Irish Open, finishing at 5-under to tie for 45th place. This was his first time playing at The K Club since the 2006 Ryder Cup, the only time Ireland hosted the event.

That year, Team Europe secured their third straight victory by defeating the US with a score of 18.5-9.5. Donald won all three of his matches, which included one singles match and two foursomes.

After the conclusion of the 2023 Irish Open, Donald wrote on Twitter:

"Fantastic week at the @IrishOpen_ bringing back so many great memories from when I played the 2006 Ryder Cup. Such a great atmosphere playing in front of amazing crowds this week, your support was very much felt and appreciated."

It was a great gesture by the 45-year-old Englishman, considering the T45 finish was his worst finish in his four starts at the Irish Open. His lone top-20 finish came here in 2004.

Donald will now compete at the BMW PGA Championship, which is scheduled to take place from Thursday, September 14, to Sunday, September 17. He is a two-time champion here, with his most recent victory coming in 2012, when he successfully defended his previous year's title, defeating Paul Lawrie and Justin Rose by four strokes.

However, Luke Donald's major test will come at the end of this month, when he will lead the 12 European golfers in the 44th Ryder Cup, set to take place at Marco Simone Golf Club from September 29 to October 1. As the host, Europe will aim to avenge the humiliating defeat it suffered last time in Wisconsin.

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How has Luke Donald performed in the 2022–23 season?

Luke Donald will captain Team Europe at this year's Ryder Cup

The seven-time DP World Tour winner hasn't had a great season so far, as he failed to make the cut in four out of eight starts in 2022–23. On the PGA Tour, he missed six cuts in 15 starts, and his best result was a T22 finish at the Wyndham Championship.

Here's a look at Luke Donald's performance in the DP World Tour's 2022–23 season:

1. D+D Real Czech Masters: T70
2. Hero Dubai Desert Classic: CUT
3. DS Automobiles Italian Open: CUT
4. US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: CUT
5. Genesis Scottish Open: CUT
6. BMW International Open: T47
7. Horizon Irish Open: T45
8. Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship: T38

Here's a look at Luke Donald's performance in the PGA Tour's 2022–23 season:

• Butterfield Bermuda Championship: CUT
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: CUT
• The Genesis Invitational: T40
• The Honda Classic: CUT
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard: T39
• Valspar Championship: CUT
• Valero Texas Open: T46
• RBC Heritage: T67
• Zurich Classic of New Orleans: T23
• PGA Championship: CUT
• Charles Schwab Challenge: T40
• The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday: T38
• Rocket Mortgage Classic: T52
• Genesis Scottish Open: CUT
• Wyndham Championship: T22