"I think we're back" - Padraig Harrington believes Luke Donald's Ryder Cup Team resembles European 1980s squad   

Padraig Harrington has been part of a total of seven Ryder Cup teams. The golfer is considered one of the legends of the prestigious biennial event. The three-time major champion has a record of 9-13-3 at the event and has earned 10.5 points as a player for his team.

While speaking on what he feels about the European team for the 44th edition of the tournament set to take place at the end of the month, Harrington shared that he feels the team is as strong as back in the 70s or 80s. He was quoted by Irish Examiner as saying:

"I think Europe is very strong this year. I think we're back – I believe we're back to the '80s, the '70s where our top players are actually the best players in the world. So I think the team is very strong. I think they're very much in form."

The European Ryder Cup team this year has three of the top five players on the Official World Golf Rankings: Rory McIlroy (2nd), Jon Rahm (3rd), and Viktor Hovland (4th). Ninth-ranked Matt Fitzpatrick, thirteenth-ranked Tyrrell Hatton, and fourteenth-ranked Tommy Fleetwood are also part of Luke Donald's 12-man team at the upcoming Rome event.

Padraig Harrington stated that the extra year of COVID-19 helped the European players get back to their peaks. He said:

"And I said at the end of that Ryder Cup, I said in numerous interviews, many of these players are going to go on to play their best golf going forward, and they have. The US Team were peaking. That extra year got them into a great place."

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"I think people underestimated Luke" - Padraig Harrington backs European Ryder Cup team captain Luke Donald

When Henrik Stenson joined the LIV Golf League, he was snubbed of captaincy for the 44th edition of the Ryder Cup in Rome. Stenson was replaced by the 45-year-old English golfer who has not won a single major tournament in his career. The news brought a stir among the golfing fraternity who deemed Luke Donald not capable enough.

Padraig Harrington, however, backed Donald and praised his golfing skillset. He added that the English golfer would not have climbed to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings if had not not been good enough.

"I think people underestimated Luke all his life, and he knows that, too. You don't get to World No 1, you don't do what he has done in the game of golf without being hard-nosed underneath. Just because he's quiet, people don't understand," Harrington said.

Harrington also praised Donald's previous role as vice-captain at the event and added that he would be equally great as a captain.

Donald had been part of the European team seven times in the Ryder Cup. He played six of them as a player and the 2021 edition as a non-playing captain. He has a score of 10-4-1 (W-L-H) and earned 10.5 points so far.