Golf legends all name same person to captain 2027 Ryder Cup team

Sir Nick Faldo, Sam Torrance, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam all name the same player to captain the 2027 European Ryder Cup team.

Andy Roberts

19 Aug 2025

Golf legends Sir Nick Faldo, Sam Torrance, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam are all in agreement that Justin Rose should be named 2027 European Ryder Cup captain at Adare Manor in Ireland.

Faldo, Torrance, Lyle and Woosnam made their feelings be known about the next European Ryder Cup captaincy during a press conference ahead of their 40th Anniversary Match at The Belfry Hotel & Resort.

Woosnam & Faldo went on to defeat Torrance & Lyle 3&1 in Tuesday's five-hole celebration match.

Rose, 45, captured his 12th PGA Tour title at the FedEx St Jude Championship earlier this month to automatically earn his spot on Luke Donald's 2025 European Ryder Cup team.

The Englishman will be making his seventh appearance on the European Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black in New York from 26-28 September.

Rose has achieved plenty in the game having won the US Open in 2013, Olympic Gold in 2016 and the FedEx Cup in 2018, a year that also saw him reach World No.1 for the first time in his career.

While Faldo, Torrance, Lyle and Woosnam are delighted to see Rose still playing some of his best stuff in 2025, they all believe he is the perfect candidate to take the reins from Donald and skipper a first Ryder Cup team in 2027.

Rose will be 47 when the 2027 Ryder Cup takes place at Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland, from 17-19 September 2027.

That's the "perfect age" in the eyes of six-time major champion Faldo.

Here's how the exchange went between all four players when the subject of 2027 European Ryder Cup captain arose in the media centre at The Belfry today:

Q After the Ryder Cup next month, I think the conversation will soon turn to who might captain Europe next. I just wondered who you see as the contenders --
SAM TORRANCE: Justin Rose.
SIR NICK FALDO: Perfect age.
SAM TORRANCE: I think he'd be the perfect age.
SIR NICK FALDO: Yeah, perfect age.
SAM TORRANCE: He ticks all the boxes. I mean, that's who it would be. And he'd be a wonderful man to play for.
SIR NICK FALDO: Yeah, job done. Next question.
(Laughter.)
SIR NICK FALDO: Decision-makers. You see? That's what you want. Decision-makers.
IAN WOOSNAM: Yeah. Obviously, he's what, 47 now? How old is he?
SIR NICK FALDO: No, 45. Would be perfect.
IAN WOOSNAM: If he's not in the same scenario as what you imagine, he's running the team, Justin Rose would be a perfect choice to be the captain, yeah. No doubt about it.
SANDY LYLE: I would have said the same thing. Yeah, he's right there. I think that's the name that comes to mind. You know, he's at the age of 40, whatever it is now, he's just beyond that now, I think he's just about right now.
He's had lots of experience, from majors to Masters. He's played in America for many years, and he's still doing well. And now he's moved back to London, so he's right in the headquarters of everything buzzing around.
So I think he would be a good asset to the Ryder Cup.