Captain Luke Donald was delighted to see the Ryder Cup journey get truly under way at last week's BMW PGA Championship and is relishing the chance to see more of his potential team tee it up at the DS Automobiles Italian Open.
The points race began last week at Wentworth Club as Shane Lowry held off the challenge of his 2020 Ryder Cup teammates Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm to win the fourth Rolex Series event of the DP World Tour season.
This week attention shifts from one iconic European venue to another which will take its place in the history books in 12 months' time, as next year's Ryder Cup host, Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, welcomes Italy's national open for the second consecutive season.
McIlroy is once again in the field alongside U.S. Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton, as well as hero of 2018 and local favourite Francesco Molinari.
"The road to The Ryder Cup, to Marco Simone started last week at Wentworth, obviously a huge event for the DP World Tour and I couldn't be happier with how the tournament finished," said Donald.
"Shane Lowry, obviously coming out on top. Rory McIlroy having a chance on the 18th. Jon Rahm playing an amazing round on Sunday.
"I got to play with Francesco Thursday and Friday and was very impressed. His game seems good as ever. His tee shots were very straight and down the middle and it was great to see him have a good, solid week and a top ten. He seems very focused, his injury seems to be behind him and he's very focused on his game.
"Overall it was a very nice start to The Ryder Cup campaign."
While the players' Ryder Cup quests began less than a week ago, for Donald the preparations have been going on since his appointment and will find an extra gear this week in Rome.
And while the early part of the week has been dedicated to off-course matters, his focus will turn to the players on the fairways come Thursday.
"I think there's an opportunity every year for young players to come through and make the team," he said. "It would be my goal and an opportunity to try and make it clear how big of an event The Ryder Cup is.
"I think my first Ryder Cup back in 2004, I understood it was a big event but once I got to play it, I didn't really understand the enormity of it - the impact it has on golf, impact it has on encouraging a new generation of players to take up the game, to create history.
"It's an event like nothing that we play week-in, week-out because we come together as a team and put our individual assets to the side and come together to create something that's bigger than just ourselves. That will be my message to some of the young players who see a great opportunity to create that legacy.
"Obviously I got to play with a few the last few weeks. I get to play with Guido Migliozzi tomorrow and Adrian Meronk, another guy that just won on the DP World Tour. I'm excited to see their games but I'll be keeping my eye on some of the younger, exciting talent to try to make this team."
