PGA Tour star's slump no concern to Ryder Cup skipper Luke Donald

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has insisted he's not concerned with Viktor Hovland's poor form. 

Donald is likely feeling quietly confident about this September's matches after the first two months of the new campaign. 

He has seen Sepp Straka, Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg and Thomas Detry land titles on the PGA Tour. 

But Hovland - who contributed 3.5 points to Europe's victory in Italy - continues to struggle. 

So much so, he conceded in January after the worst season of his career: "I suck at golf right now."

Donald told Golf Channel: "It's great to see so many Europeans winning.

"There are still seven months to go, with four major championships and plenty of golf ahead. 

"While we're not looking too far ahead, it's a positive start, and as captain, it definitely puts a smile on my face."

Hovland has missed two cuts in four starts in 2025. 

The Norwegian is back in action at Bay Hill this week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

"I'm not really too worried about Viktor," Donald added. "He's a stud and he's going to start playing great.

"He's really not that far off to be honest if you look at the stats."

As for how the rest of his team is shaping up, Donald admitted the rapidly evolving state of men's professional golf has made his job a tad trickier. 

Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton's switch to LIV Golf has changed Donald's approach. 

Asked if it was difficult to keep the team-building momentum going, he said: "I'm very sensitive to know that everyone reacts differently.

"Some people like to know things [and] some people want to, sort of, just be left alone. 

"I sort of built up those relationships over the last three years with this captaincy.

"So it's understanding those personalities, how to react with them and converse with them and how to get them in the right spot. 

"It does take up a lot of time where I'm trying to figure out the best way to get them in the right frame of mind." 

The 2025 Ryder Cup will be played over 26-28 September.

Europe have not won won an away Ryder Cup since the Miracle at Medinah in 2012. 

"We haven't been successful away and it's up to me to try and figure out how to turn those disadvantages into advantages," Donald said. 

"It's not an easy process but it's something that I've been working on for the last six months to a year or so."