OLAZABAL NAMES THREE RYDER CUP VICE-CAPTAINS
NEWS RELEASE FROM EUROPEAN TOUR
European Captain José María
Olazábal has named Thomas Björn, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley as
three of his four Vice Captains for The 2012 Ryder Cup match against the
United States at Medinah Country Club, Chicago, Illinois, from
September
28-30.
Björn, Clarke and McGinley have
between them played in ten Ryder Cups, with no fewer than nine wins to
their credit, and together represent an accomplished and knowledgeable
‘Backroom Team’ after working together for The European Team
when the Cup was regained at the Celtic Manor Resort, Wales, in 2010.
Olazábal, who played in seven Ryder
Cup matches between 1987 and 2006 and was a Vice Captain in 2008 and
2010, said: “I could not be more delighted than to have Thomas, Darren
and Paul as Vice Captains especially as we bonded so well
supporting Colin Montgomerie in 2010. All three are world class golfers
with tremendous experience of playing in The Ryder Cup which is
absolutely invaluable.
“For me to have these guys – all
such great friends – by my side is fantastic. I know like me they will
now be counting down the days to to Medinah with one aim – to return
home with the Cup.
“Thomas, Darren and Paul share a
special spirit and love for the game and they have the respect and
admiration of everyone in golf. Their passion, commitment and desire to
win will encourage everyone in the team room and for me it is
so important to have guys you know, guys you trust, guys familiar with
this contest because The Ryder Cup is unique.
“My own experiences as a Vice
Captain in 2008 and 2010 taught me that you need a lot of help that
week. You need eyes, extra eyes to follow the players in the practice
rounds to gather as much information as you can about how everyone
is playing.
“Then it is important to have each
match watched because you have to hand in your pairings for the
afternoon matches when the players are still out on the course. That
means it is essential to have all the information you can get before
you put those pairings down on paper – my Vice Captains will make sure
that is the case and I will name the fourth one at the August 27
Conference when I announce my two picks.
“This Ryder Cup, like so many in
the past, will come down to who shows the most character under pressure.
It is certain to be close but I am confident we have the players to
bring the Cup back home with us, and to have Thomas, Darren
and Paul already on-side in Team Europe is a massive boost.”
Björn became, in 1997, the first
Danish player to compete in The Ryder Cup and he was unbeaten in the
Seve Ballesteros-captained winning European Team, and he was also on the
winning team in 2002. He has played six matches, winning three
and halving one. Björn was Vice Captain to Bernhard Langer in 2004 at
Oakland Hills and to Colin Montgomerie at the Celtic Manor Resort in
2010 and he has also captained Continental Europe in the Vivendi Seve
Trophy. He has 13 European Tour wins and in all
19 worldwide.
Björn said: “I said in 2010 that if
you can’t play well enough to be on the team then I am very happy to do
this role. I’m delighted to be invited by José María and to be one of
his Vice Captains. We know that an experienced backroom
team can make a big difference, and together we will be looking to
support the Captain in making good decisions and making the team feel
comfortable with what they are doing.”
Northern Ireland’s Clarke, winner of The 140th
Open Championship last year, also, like Björn, made his Ryder Cup debut
in 1997. He played five matches in succession, finishing on the winning
side four times, and won ten and
halved three of his 20 matches. Clarke was Vice Captain to Colin
Montgomerie in 2010. He has 14 European Tour wins and in all 21
worldwide.
Clarke said: “I am really pleased
to be part of José María’s team and I know that we can instil that
relaxed atmosphere in the team room and help the Captain get the best
out of the players. Make no mistake this is a very strong backroom
team because we have been there before and done it before. We’ll be
seeking to use our experience to re-create that terrific team spirit and
bonding that has made the European team room such a special place to be
for so many years.”
Ireland’s McGinley famously holed
the winning putt on his Ryder Cup debut in 2002 and he has an enviable
100 per cent winning record having also been on the winning team in 2004
and 2006. He won two and halved five of his nine matches.
McGinley was Vice Captain in 2010 and he captained Great Britain and
Ireland to victory against Continental Europe in both the 2009 and 2011
Vivendi Seve Trophy matches. McGinley has four European Tour wins and in
all nine worldwide.
McGinley said: “I am thrilled to be
part of Team Europe again and I would like to keep that unbeaten run
going. But we all know that Ryder Cups are always very difficult. The
Americans always look to start fast especially on home soil,
as they did at Valhalla in 2008, and we will need to be ready for that.
What is important is that we win The Ryder Cup again not just for us
but also for The European Tour.”
The ten automatic qualifiers for
The European Ryder Cup Team – five from the European Points List and
five from the World Points List – will be confirmed on Sunday August 26.
Olazábal will announce his two Captain’s Picks at a special
2012 Ryder Cup Conference at Noon on Monday, August 27, at The
Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland.
The eight automatic qualifiers for
the United States Team became known following the conclusion of the US
PGA Championship last Sunday. They are Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner,
Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Webb Simpson, Bubba
Watson and Tiger Woods. United States Captain Davis Love III will
announce his Captain’s Picks at the NASDAQ Marketsite, New York City, on
Tuesday, September 4. Love has named Fred Couples, Mike Hulbert, Jeff
Sluman and Scott Verplank as his four Vice Captains.
Labels: RYDER CUP
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