AMGEN IRISH OPEN

September 9, 2026

Luke Donald

Trump International Golf Links & Hotel

Quick Quotes

LUKE DONALD: It's always great to be in Ireland, considering my role and what's coming up next year, walking around today, you see so many people wishing me the best of luck. It's a great feel. I always love coming to Ireland and playing golf. It has fantastic golf courses here. This is a fun one. It's in great shape and really weather dependent. Calm, nice day today and I think the greens are holding from some is of the rain. You can make some birdies. But if the wind picks up like it was yesterday, it's pretty tough.

Q. How is your game at the moment?

LUKE DONALD: I'm still working on it. I didn't play of the first half of the season. I really wanted to spend some time with the family. Take things in but playing quite a bit the next -- I think I'm playing four of the next six-week and the played a couple weeks ago, the British Masters, and I've been grinding on my game a little bit more. It feels pretty good off the tee, tee-to-green. Now I'm trying to find a little bit of something on the greens. It's funny old game. Suddenly you have one part figured out ask suddenly the other part does not seem quite as comfortable. I've been working on it.

Q. You mentioned the Ryder Cup there on this island of Ireland in just over a year's time. How excited are you that it almost feels like within touching distance a little bit?

LUKE DONALD: Yeah, very early days but it seems like it's a different focus for some of the players, a reset. I think the next few months are obviously great for DP World Tour and all the events. Some strong fields coming up, and great competition. So I'm looking forward to seeing how things pan out over next 8 to 12 months.

Q. You mentioned the qualification started at the British Masters. What are you concentrating on now when you're looking at players?

LUKE DONALD: You know, I'm really very lucky to have Edoardo. Obviously in-depth and keeps an eye on where people are standing and how they are doing. It's nice for me to be over here and playing a little bit and checking in with some players.

It's early days but we're keeping an eye on a bunch of players, and I think come next September, we're going to have a strong squad.

Q. And Francesco, here as well, have you had chats this week?

LUKE DONALD: A couple chats. There is plans to have a dinner tonight, one of the nights this week. Yeah, we'll get together and chat through a few things.

Q. Taking you back, one of the best golfing comebacks in history at Lahinch up the road, Walker Cup. You spoke to Dean Robertson yesterday. You played in two of them. What did you make of the events?

LUKE DONALD: I woke up and tuned in and they were finishing up the morning foursomes and there was a lot of red. Didn't spell a great outcome for GB&I but I love the fact they came out, despite the disappointment -- I read a lot of quotes about how they felt like they had a lot of energy and played well. Just the U.S. played super great golf in the morning session.

So to obviously come back and play against a strong, strong U.S. Team and to win the singles as convincingly as they did the turnaround at the end, it was edge of the seat stuff from sitting at my couch at home. I couldn't stop watching. It always brings back memories of those team events and how special they are. You're looking at the leaderboard, trying to find those points that require to try and win. Just very happy for the lads.