It is nearly 12 years since Donaldson arrived at The Gleneagles Hotel as part of a Europe team seeking a third consecutive Ryder Cup win and over the first two days on the PGA Centenary Course he claimed two points alongside Lee Westwood.

Then, in the Singles on Sunday against Keegan Bradley, he stood in the 15th fairway and put an approach to tap-in range that led to a concession and Europe winning the cup once again.

This week he plays for himself on the King’s Course and while he admits it is very different, the memories of that incredible day still live fresh in the memory.

“I’ve gone back and replayed the shot and hit good shots, but yeah, at the time, it was perfect,” he said.

“As in the make-up for the shot, everything: the wind, the position, the yardage was perfect for a full shot… sometimes you’re in a position to hit something that means a lot and you’re in between clubs but it was just a perfect full wedge.

“The rest is history, kind of thing.

“It’s great memories. I’m in the hotel from tonight, so it’s great to be back and around that team room environment. But obviously this week will be very different with it being obviously an individual week and nobody will be getting too friendly with each other. It will be back down to business.”

Donaldson’s Ryder Cup appearance in Perthshire was the culmination of a long spell of a good golf, a purple patch that saw him claim wins in three consecutive seasons, the latter of which sealed his place on Paul McGinley’s team.

His forties then brought a mixed bag, with some years playing on medical and career money exemptions and others comfortably retaining his card.

Now, having turned 50 last October, the senior game has allowed for a reset where Donaldson is thriving, having already claimed two wins and sitting top of the 2026 Staysure Legends tour Order of Merit.

“It kind of starts again, doesn’t it?” he said. “It’s hard the backend of playing on tour against all the youngsters that are coming out.

“If you have a good week, you still play well but the consistency was always quite difficult to maintain. You’d have a great week and then you might not have another good finish for a month or six weeks.

“It was very difficult to understand how that could happen, where before, when you were playing well in your prime, if you had a good week, you would continue to have good weeks because that was your time of the year to play well.

“It was difficult at the end and the last sort of three or four years of hanging on, finding ways to stay out there competing, but you didn’t compete often enough.

“Suddenly you’re 50, you start again, and you’re playing on the Senior Tour, bits in America, bits in Europe and you’re now not one of the shorter hitters, you’re one of the longer hitters. It all just changes and then you’re in a position to compete every week again. The courses are slightly shorter, more playable and more fun.

“So you get to go again and it’s great. Where lots of sports like football, you’re stopping at 35 and most athletic sports sort of get to 30 and you’re done.

“So we’re very lucky to have that privilege and to do it all again, to start and be one of the young fresh guys out on tour and it’s great fun. I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Donaldson is one of 29 Ryder Cup players in a field this week that also includes 15 Major champions and is making his debut alongside fellow first-timers such as Zach Johnson and Henrik Stenson.

With established senior stars like defending champion Pádraig Harrington also teeing it up, the Welshman knows it will be a competitive week and he is ready or the challenge.

“These are big events,” he said. “This is the third one I’ve played in this year. These are the ones everybody wants to win. Very strong field.

“So this is the week to play well and winning would be massive. For any individual to win this week would be a real good, strong performance that you’d have to put in because the course is playing quite tough. You have to hit the fairways.

“It’s going to be a really fun week.”

Tickets are still available to purchase here.

Our Partners