RYDER SKIPPER DONALD SHUNS THE SAUDI CASH

LUKE DONALD said that no amount of Saudi money could persuade him to walk out on the Ryder Cup after being confirmed as Europe’s captain yesterday. The former world No 1 guaranteed he would not follow in the footsteps of Henrik Stenson, who was last month stripped of the role after accepting a £40m signing-on fee from the Saudi-backed rebel LIV tour. When Donald was asked to provide assurances about his commitment to the match in Rome next year, he said: ‘I have signed a contract, and I intend to see that through. I’m giving you my word that I will be here for the next 14 months.

‘I’m excited about this opportunity, I really am. The Ryder Cup means so much to me and I’m not going to take this lightly, so I will see you in Rome.’ Donald, a winner of four Ryder Cups as a player, has landed the job at the second attempt after being overlooked for Stenson earlier this year. While he has not been tested with one of LIV’s vast offers, he was approached months ago with a proposal to be part of their commentary set-up, which he rejected. He chose not to criticise Stenson, who he described as a ‘friend’, saying: ‘Henrik has made his decisions and he’s got his reasons for it. I’m not really here to judge that. I’m certainly excited about the opportunity and when I found out I had a second chance, I grabbed at it. ‘This is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve had amazing experiences in Ryder Cups, and this feels kind of like a lifetime achievement award in a way — a reward for everything I’ve done for the Ryder Cup.’

The 44-year-old hinted he might contact Sarina Wiegman, the head coach of the victorious England women’s football team, for inspiration. He said: ‘I am extremely proud of what the Lionesses did to win the Euros like that. Any time I can, I want to talk to someone who is able to have such a success. I’ll be reaching out to people who’ve had a lot of success in a team environment, one being Sarina.’