Luke Donald has earned the right to decide for himself whether he will captain Europe at a third consecutive Ryder Cup in 2027, believes Tommy Fleetwood.

Donald has overseen back-to-back Ryder Cup triumphs for Team Europe, who recorded the tournament's first away win since 2012 when they beat the United States 15-13 at Bethpage Black last week.

Donald has won every single Ryder Cup he has participated at either as a player (in 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2012) or as captain (2023 and 2025).

He was already the first European captain to retain the position for back-to-back editions since Bernard Gallacher in 1991, 1993 and 1995, and Fleetwood thinks he could follow in the Scot's footsteps by doing so for a third straight tournament. 

Speaking ahead of this week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Fleetwood said: "I think the ball is probably in Luke's court, I think he has earned that."

Fleetwood, who won four points this year to equal his previous best tally at a Ryder Cup (also four in 2018), was then asked about a pair of potential replacements.

Though Fleetwood joked that 45-year-old Justin Rose will continue playing at the Ryder Cup for too long to take the captaincy, he can see Francesco Molinari – who served as a vice captain in New York – leading his continent in the future.

Fleetwood said: "Justin Rose is going to be playing the Ryder Cup when he is 102 years old, so we may have to wait a while!

"I have also spoken to Francesco Molinari about it numerous times. I think the respect he has from his peers, his accomplishments, goes a long way to being a Ryder Cup captain.

"I think we have an amazing blueprint for Team Europe and amazing captains lying in wait. We will see where we go in the future, but we are in good hands for a long time yet."