Bob MacIntyre and Rory McIlroy can be golf's Roman Emperors as Luke Donald plots Open takeover to dethrone USA

Luke Donald is backing Rory McIlroy and his Roman Emperors to rip back Major control from the USA.

The European Ryder Cup skipper’s 12 heroes of Marco Simeone lead the home continent’s challenge at Royal Troon. Although sunk as a team in Italy, individuals from the United States have a firm stranglehold on golf’s big four prizes. Brian Harman won the Claret Jug 12 months ago at Hoylake and it’s been a clean sweep since.

Scottie Scheffler won April’s Masters, Xander Schauffele triumphed at May’s USPGA Championship and Bryson DeChambeau won last month’s US Open. McIlroy was pipped in agonising fashion by DeChambeau at Pinehurst, but his captain believes he can strike back immediately. Donald saw first-hand McIlroy’s ability to fire back in the face of adversity having rampaged back from his Saturday night car-park spat in Rome to lead Europe’s charge to victory.

The skipper has seen good signs from his Northern Irish talisman and said: “It hasn’t been held, all four majors by the US, since 1982, so it’s unusual and it certainly could happen this year. I would love to see one of the guys I captained in Rome win it.

“Rory’s game seemed very solid to me on Monday. I followed his whole 18 holes. He looked good. Just listening to him in his press conferences this week and seeing him on Monday his spirits are high.

“He has tried to take all the positives he could from the disappointment at the US Open and try to learn what he did wrong. I think that is what the greats do, they know no-one can be perfect, everyone makes mistakes, everyone misses putts and misses shots.

“But he put himself in that position and, as long as he has been around the game, he has always been at the top of it, too. He’s been tremendously consistent