Tag: Ryder Cup 2023

Categories
Highlights Tours

Ryder Cup 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick searching for points

Matt Fitzpatrick will be part of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup 2023 for the third time. (Photo: Getty)
Matt Fitzpatrick will be part of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup 2023 for the third time. (Photo: Getty)

The 2023 Ryder Cup is approaching fast. For Team Europe, Matt Fitzpatrick is taking part for the third time this year, after 2016 and 2021. The 29-year-old Englishman has impressed with strong performances so far this year, which he crowned with a victory at the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour. Fitzpatrick is currently eighth in the world rankings. However, after two pointless appearances at the Ryder Cup, the Englishman urgently needs to prove his ability for Team Europe this year.

Matt Fitzpatrick at the 2023 Ryder Cup

For a long time it was not clear whether Matt Fitzpatrick would qualify independently for the 2023 Ryder Cup despite a good season. However, with a strong shared third place at the Omega European Masters in Crans Montana and good performances in the FedExCup Playoffs, the Englishman managed to qualify via the world points list.

Fitzpatrick’s season performance in the run-up to the 2023 Ryder Cup reads quite impressively. In addition to winning the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour and a top finish in Crans Montana, the 29-year-old tied for second place at the BMW Championship. Added to this is a good performance at the Masters Tournament (T10).

No points for Matt Fitzpatrick at the Ryder Cup

Matt Fitzpatrick’s record at the Ryder Cup so far is sobering. Team Europe came away empty-handed in both of his previous participations in 2016 and 2021, and suffered a clear defeat in 2021 in particular. Not entirely innocent in both cases was Matt Fitzpatrick, who also has an atrocious record on a personal level. At the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, that should change.

Fitzpatrick played just two matches for Team Europe in 2016 as a rookie and conceded two defeats. In 2021, the Englishman lost all three of his duels at the Ryder Cup. The sobering result: 0-5-0. In Rome, it will therefore be time to score his first points for Team Europe.

Matt Fitzpatrick’s greatest successes

Matt Fitzpatrick achieved the first major success of his career in 2015 when he won the British Masters. Six more wins on the European Tour/DP World Tour followed, including defending his title at the Omega European Masters in 2018 after winning it the previous year. In 2022, Fitzpatrick won the US Open, claiming his first major triumph. This year, the 29-year-old Englishman also recorded his second title on the PGA Tour by winning the RBC Heritage. Fitzpatrick’s total prize money amounts to around 22.3 million dollars (approx. 20.8 million euros).

Matt Fitzpatrick’s golf bag for the Ryder Cup 2023

Matt Fitzpatrick is relying on Titleist, Cobra and Ping for his Ryder Cup appearance. With the TSi3 series driver from Titleist, Fitzpatrick is relying on the brand’s previous model. When it comes to hybrids, though, he had the latest models in the bag. A TSR1 and a TRS2 Hybrid make it into his current selection. With the Cobra Aerojet 3 wood he completes the long clubs. For the irons, the Englishman relies on the Driving Iron from the Ping i210 series, as well as the Ping S55 from the 5-iron to the pitching wedge. For wedges, Fitzpatrick also relies on the Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 9 clubs in 52-degree and 56-degree loft. Along with Titleist’s WedgeWorks lob wedge, he complements his irons. When it comes to the putter, he goes for an alternative to the big brands and picks up the Bettinardi BB1 Fitz Blade putter, which was even named after him. As a playing ball, Fitzpatrick also uses the Titleist Pro V1x.

Categories
Highlights Tours

Ryder Cup 2023: Rory McIlroy – A Tower of Strength

Rory McIlroy will be Part of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup 2023. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy will be Part of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup 2023. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy is a 34-year-old Northern Irishman and one of the most successful golfers in the world. At just 22, he was the second-youngest player ever to top the world rankings at the time. He has won four major tournaments and 20 others on the PGA Tour. All eyes will be on the fan favorite at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.

Rory McIlroy at the 2023 Ryder Cup

Due to Rory McIlroy’s successful season, the Northern Irishman qualified for the Ryder Cup in two ways. He led the European points rankings at the time of his qualification and followed in second place behind Jon Rahm in the world points ranking. With two victories in the 2022/2023 season and a total of eleven top-10 finishes, he collected enough points to be nominated first, together with Jon Rahm, for the Ryder Cup.

The world number two played 16 tournaments last season and missed the cut only twice. He managed a top-10 finish impressive eleven times, including two T2’s and two victories. In October 2022, he won the CJ Cup in South Carolina, one of the first tournaments of the PGA Tour season. Then in July 2023, he won the British Open dress rehearsal, the Genesis Scottish Open, and bagged about three and a half million dollars with those two wins alone. He narrowly missed winning the US Open and the Arnold Palmer Invitational by finishing second. In total, McIlroy earned around 13 million dollars in prize money during the 2022-2023 season

Will Rory McIlroy write the next chapter in golf history in the 2023 Ryder Cup?

In 2010, at the age of 21, McIlroy won the Ryder Cup for the first time with Team Europe. In stormy Wales the decision even had to be postponed until Monday. In 2012, he defended the title with a historic comeback by the European team. After trailing six to ten, the Europeans won for the seventh time out of the at that time last nine Ryder Cups.

In 2014, he made a historic start in match play against Rickie Fowler, winning five of the first six holes. With this victory, among others, the Europeans again defended their title. 2018 was the for now last victory of Team Europe in which McIlroy again played a part. After an emotional loss in 2021 he will again be an integral part of the European Ryder Cup Team in 2023, as he has been for 13 years. With all his experience, he is a tower fo strength for Team Europe.

Rory McIlroy’s greatest successes and prize money

Rory McIlroy became famous at a young age. He made his first TV appearance at the age of eight, won the U10 World Championship in Miami at 9, made his first hole-in-one at 10 and was already leading the amateur world rankings at 17. Alongside Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, the Northern Irishman is the only player to have won four major titles by the age of 25.

In a total of 236 events, he missed the cut only 30 times. In just under half of the tournaments he has played, he has reached the top 10. 71 of these were top 5 finishes, ten third places and ten more runner ups. His greatest successes are his Major victories. In 2011 he won the US Open for his first major title. In 2012, he took the title at the PGA Championship. Two years later, he won two of the four major tournaments, the PGA Championship again and the Open Championship. He now only needs the Masters in Augusta to have been successful in all four major tournaments and complete a career Grand Slam. He also won the FedExCup three times, most recently in 2022. The Northern Irishman has earned around 79 million dollars in prize money during his career.

Categories
Highlights Tours

Ryder Cup 2023: Captain Luke Donald – Four-time Ryder Cup winner

Luke Donald is the captain of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup 2023. (Photo: Getty)
Luke Donald is the captain of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup 2023. (Photo: Getty)

The 45-year-old Englishman looks back on a long and successful career. In total, Luke Donald has won 13 titles on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour (former European Tour) and was among the world’s top 20 players at the beginning of 2005. In 2011, he was ranked first in the world golf rankings for the first time. His participations in the Ryder Cup speak for themselves. Four times he faced the American team and four times he won the Ryder Cup with Team Europe.

Luke Donald as Captain at the Ryder Cup 2023

Luke Donald was appointed captain for the 44th Ryder Cup on August 1, 2022. He will lead his team from September 29 through October 1. His long history in the Ryder Cup and not a single defeat as a player should bode well for the European team.

Donald has always been a competitive player. In 2011, for example, he won the WGC Accenture Match Play in the final against Martin Kaymer. His experience and passion, along with a host of successes from the still-active player, make him a showcase captain for the European team, which will face a strong Team USA this year.

Four Ryder Cup appearances – Four Ryder Cup victories

His Ryder Cup career began in 2004, when Bernhard Langer was captain of the European team. At that time, Europe won the tournament in Michigan by a historic margin. Luke Donald played his part in that. On the first and second day, he won the Foursome both times together with Sergio Garcia. He was only beaten in the singles match play on Sunday. Garcia and he formed the Ryder Cup Dream Team. In 2006, they also won together in the Foursome on Friday and Saturday, facing none other than Phil Mickelson on both days. That year he also won his singles match.

He then continued his winning statistics at the Ryder Cup in 2010. On Friday, he was defeated in the Fourball, but on Saturday he won twice and, with a victory in the match on the final day, ensured the next European Ryder Cup victory. In 2012, in his last Ryder Cup appearance, he helped seal a narrow European victory when he won his singles match against Bubba Watson. He thus sat out the Ryder Cup only once (2008), the only year Europe lost the Ryder Cup between 2004 and 2012.

Luke Donald’s greatest successes and prize money

One of his greatest successes was his victory at the BMW PGA Championship in 2011. This victory catapulted him to the top of the world rankings for the first time in his career. A year later, he even defended his title at the tournament. For a long time, Luke Donald played mainly on the PGA Tour, but he also took part in tournaments on the European Tour. On the PGA Tour he managed five more victories. In total, the Englishman has won 13 international titles.

In his career, he made the cut 290 times in 421 events played. 79 top-10 finishes and 16 second places illustrate his class. That brings him to around $38 million in prize money earned so far in his career.

Categories
Live

Ryder Cup 2023: Justin Rose, a familiar face on Team Europe

Justin Rose will be part of Team Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)
Justin Rose will be part of Team Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)

With Justin Rose, Luke Donald is bringing the most experienced Ryder Cup player into the team alongside Rory McIlroy. The 43-year-old will be part of Europe’s lineup for the Ryder Cup for the sixth time in 2023. “There’s nothing better than winning as a team,” Rose said enthusiastic after the announcement of the “captain’s picks.” Captain Luke Donald is confident he made the right choice with Justin Rose: “He’s been in these situations before, holing putts under pressure.”

Justin Rose at the 2023 Ryder Cup

At 43, Justin Rose is one of the older players on the European team for the 2023 Ryder Cup. After missing the previous edition of the Ryder Cup, he delivered outstanding performances in the 2022/2023 season that put him on captain Luke Donald’s radar. On both the PGA Tour and the European Tour, the Englishman proved himself to be a dangerous title chaser. Earlier this year, Rose prevailed on the PGA Tour at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to become the first European winner in the tournament’s history.

His biggest successes of the year were celebrated also on the PGA Tour with a sixth-place finish at the Players Championship and top-20 finishes at the US Masters and the PGA Championship. Rose also managed a rounded finish to the season on the PGA Tour with T22 at the FedEx St Jude Championship and T20 at the BMW Championship. His biggest success on European soil this year was fourth place at the Betfred British Masters in his home country. These consistently good performances coupled with his extensive Ryder Cup experience made him the right candidate for Team Europe for Luke Donald.

Delighted to have been called up by Luke to represent Team Europe in Rome! The Ryder Cup is an absolute honour to be a part of, and the intensity of the competition cannot be found elsewhere! So excited to get to feel that again!! Missing out last time around really spurred me… pic.twitter.com/3iu7TCoEAF — Justin ROSE (@JustinRose99) September 4, 2023

Three victories in five Ryder Cup appearances

Justin Rose already has five Ryder Cups behind him: in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016 as well as 2018 he was one of twelve Europeans to compete against the American team. In 2012, 2014 and 2018, he and his teammates celebrated victory in golf’s most famous team competition. After ten years of Ryder Cup, Justin Rose has a record of 13-8-2. He showed the most success in the Foursomes with his teammates, famously often playing alongside Swede Henrik Stenson, winning seven times, losing only twice and playing one draw. He earned his successes at the Ryder Cup through confident performances under high pressure and long putts that he put into the hole.

Justin Rose’s performance at the 2012 Ryder Cup in Medinah was particularly memorable. The European team was already threatened with defeat on the final Sunday. Rose fought for every point in a singles match against Phil Mickelson and turned the tide after initially trailing on the 17th green when he holed a long putt for birdie. With team partner Henrik Stenson at his side, Rose has emerged over the years as the true great of the competition and has played a vital part in three European victories.

“Rosie’s” greatest successes

In his career Justin Rose collected one major victory in addition to eleven wins on the PGA Tour and eleven victories on the DP World Tour. His triumph at the US Open in 2013 is one of the greatest successes for the Englishman. He won the American Major at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, by two strokes. In 2016, when golf became an Olympic sport for the first time since 1904, Rose went all out and beat his favorite partner Stenson by two strokes, winning the gold medal. He also emerged as the overall winner of the PGA Tour’s season rankings in 2018 and was a FedExCup title winner. After some time without highlights, Rose showed himself to be a reliable golfer again last season and thus earned his place back on Team Europe.

Categories
Highlights Tours

Ryder Cup 2023: Luke Donalds Captain’s Picks for Team Europe

Luke Donalds makes his captain's picks for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup 2023. (Photo: Getty)
Luke Donalds makes his captain's picks for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup 2023. (Photo: Getty)

Luke Donald has announced his wildcards for Team Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup. With six players he completes his team with which he will compete against Zach Johnson’s team in Italy to bring the Ryder Cup back into European hands. These are Luke Donald’s captain’s picks:

Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Nicolai Hojgaard and Ludvig Aberg.

Luke Donald’s picks for the Ryder Cup 2023

For Sepp Straka it will be the first Ryder Cup. He impressed with a win at the John Deere Classic and second place at the Open Championship. “It was a goal to make the team, but it always looks so far away. It’s an honor to be on it.” Donald especially praised Straka’s involvement in Hero Cup earlier this year, for which he flew to Abu Dhabi. “He loves the team environment and is in great form.”

Tommy Fleetwood will be making his third Ryder Cup appearance. He was on the verge of qualifying directly until near the end of the qualifying stage, but was then overtaken by Matt Fitzpatrick. “He’s a ball-striking machine,” Donald explained his choice. Fleetwood was there for the magnificent 2018 victory at Le Golf National, but also for the crushing defeat at Whistling Straits. “I’m one of those players who stood on the 18th green last time out and couldn’t wait to be back next time and bring the trophy back,” Fleetwood said after his appointment.

With Justin Rose, Luke Donald brings a lot of experience to the team. Rose has been part of the team five times, three of them victorious. “A wealth of experience,” Justin Rose offers according to the captain. “He’s been in these situations before, holed putts under pressure.” The Englishman is excited about being in the team for the sixth time after failing to make the team in the previous edition at Whistling Straits. “There’s nothing better than winning as a team,” Rose said.

“He’s made for the big moments, he showed that with his win at the 2019 Open Championship,” Donald announced Shane Lowry as his next pick. Lowry showed his enthusiasm for the Ryder Cup in 2021 at Whistling Straits, even if it wasn’t enough to win. “I’m incredibly proud, grateful and looking forward to Rome,” Lowry said. “The last one hurt and I’m looking forward to a home Ryder Cup.” Despite the loss, Lowry said the 2021 experience was one he will never forget.

Luke Donald brings another rookie to the team in Nicolai Hojgaard. “It was one of my goals and to be on a team with players I’ve admired my whole life is fantastic.” Donald emphasizes the form Hojgaard is currently in and how he proved himself at the Hero Cup earlier this year.

The last pick also goes to a rookie who is starting his pro career with a bang: Ludvig Aberg. The Swede has only been on the pro circuit for two and a half months. “He has the potential to be a superstar in golf,” is how Donald introduces his latest pick. He had his eye on him in his college days, he says, and played with him at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. “I was impressed with his game, so I challenged him to play in Europe for a few weeks after all. And as you know, how that went.” After a shared fourth-place finish at the Czech Masters, Aberg won in Switzerland over the weekend. “If you would have told me a few months ago that I would be in this position, I probably wouldn’t have believed it,” said Aberg, who will be the first player to compete in the Ryder Cup without ever having played a major before.

The Ryder Cup will be played from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome.

These players have already qualified for Team Europe

Six players had already qualified via the two points lists, the European Points List and the World Points List. Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Robert MacIntyre secured their places via the European Points List. While Rahm and McIlroy had already been determined for a while, MacIntyre prevailed in the last qualifying valid DP World Tour tournaments. Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton were impossible to catch in the world points standings after the FedExCup playoffs. Matt Fitzpatrick secured the final qualifying spot at the Omega European Masters.

Categories
Professionals

Ryder Cup 2023: Tyrrell Hatton with third participation in a row

Tyrrell Hatton will compete in the 2023 Ryder Cup for the third time. (Photo: Getty)
Tyrrell Hatton will compete in the 2023 Ryder Cup for the third time. (Photo: Getty)

The Ryder Cup 2023 is just around the corner. Tyrrell Hatton will be part of the team again this year. Despite rather disappointing performances at the Major tournaments and a season without a title so far, the 31-year-old Englishman qualified for Team Europe for the third time in a row. Alongside Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, Hatton is thus the fourth player who will certainly be competing for the European team at the Ryder Cup. Known for his temperament, Hatton could be a valuable points contributor for Team Europe – as long as he keeps his emotions in check.

Tyrrell Hatton at the Ryder Cup 2023

In a year that has so far lacked major success, Hatton qualified for the Ryder Cup through consistent performances and a strong finish on the world points list. With Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm qualifying via the European points list, Hatton, with the fourth-best world points score among European players, made the jump to one of the contested spots for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

For Team Europe, the talented Englishman could be a key to success. This season, for example, the 31-year-old is once again proving that he is one of the best golfers in the world, with seven top-10 finishes in 21 tournaments played in 2023 and only one missed cut. While Hatton did not manage a top finish at the majors, his best results this year include a runner-up finish at the Players Championship and a shared third place at the Wells Fargo Championship and the Canadian Open.

Tyrrell Hatton’s third consecutive Ryder Cup appearance

For Hatton, the participation in the 2023 Ryder Cup represents his third consecutive involvement in the tournament. The two previous competitions in 2018 and 2021 could not have been more contrasting. While Team Europe claimed a convincing victory in France in 2018, Hatton and Co. suffered a historic defeat at the hands of Team USA in Wisconsin in 2021. Hatton himself turned in solid performances in both tournaments, contributing one point (1-2-0) in 2018 and 1.5 points (1-2-1) in 2021.

For the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy, the European team will be looking for revenge for 2021 despite being perceived underdogs. “I think Europe will have a strong team. The media will portray us as underdogs, but we will have a very strong team,” Hatton announced in an interview with talkSPORT. In any case, the fact that Team USA has not been able to win on European soil for 30 years speaks in favor of success for the Europeans.

Tyrrell Hatton: Dry spell and great successes

The breakthrough in his career came in 2016 when Tyrrell Hatton won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Particularly impressive in this first big success were the 62 strokes in round three. In the following years, Hatton collected five more successes on the European Tour and won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour in 2020. He also won the 2018 Ryder Cup with Team Europe, but since his victory in 2021 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Tyrrell Hatton has been waiting for another trophy. A triumph at the 2023 Ryder Cup would certainly be a welcome sense of achievement for him in the context of this dry spell and will provide extra motivation.

Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour: Teams unveiled for Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi

Luke Donald is the captain of Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)
Luke Donald is the captain of Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)

European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald has announced 18 players, including an exciting mix of Ryder Cup stars, Major Champions and the most promising young players in world golf, to make up the Continental Europe and Great Britain and Ireland teams for next year’s Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi from January 13-15.

Prep for the Ryder Cup: DP World Tour brings team match play tournament

In consultation with the respective Hero Cup Captains Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari, who will both compete as playing Captains, Donald confirmed the teams for next year’s match play contest at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, with one remaining position for each team to be allocated at the conclusion of the DP World Tour calendar year.

Match Play Tournament on the DP World Tour

Donald and Molinari have constructed a strong mix of proven winners with Sweden’s Alex Noren and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters bringing Ryder Cup experience to the Continental Europe ranks one week before the Belgian defends his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship title at Yas Links.

Molinari’s team will be completed by a host of exciting young players including Austrian Sepp Straka, who won his maiden PGA TOUR title at The Honda Classic in 2022, three-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Højgaard, two-time winner Victor Perez and Adrian Meronk, who became the first Polish player to win on the DP World Tour when he claimed the 2022 Horizon Irish Open.

Belgium’s Thomas Detry has also enjoyed a strong start to his rookie PGA TOUR season finishing in the top-12 in three of the five events played – including second place in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship – and has six top-15 finishes on the DP World Tour. He is joined by three-time DP World Tour winner Guido Migliozzi, who claimed the biggest victory of his career in September at the Cazoo Open de France.

The Great Britain and Ireland team, led by two-time Ryder Cup player Fleetwood, boasts 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry and four-time Rolex Series winner Tyrrell Hatton amongst its ranks.

They will be joined by a stream of Ryder Cup hopefuls including Irishman Séamus Power, who has enjoyed a stunning start to the 2023 PGA TOUR season and currently leads the FedEx Cup Standings, and DP World Tour winners Ewen Ferguson, Robert MacIntyre, Callum Shinkwin, Jordan Smith and Matt Wallace.

Luke Donald wants to “combine experience and youthfulness”

Donald, the 2023 European Ryder Cup Captain, said: “Having worked closely with Tommy and Fran on building the two teams, I’m delighted with the mix of players who will be on show at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in January.

“We all thought it was important to combine experience and youthfulness and I think we have found that balance with a mixture of Major Champions and Ryder Cup players, alongside guys who are hoping to secure a spot in Rome next year.”

Prep at the highest level

Molinari, the Continental Europe Captain and 2018 Open Champion, said: “Our team is packed full of exciting players who all have the attributes to excel in a match play contest and I’m excited to lead them into the Hero Cup next year.

“Some of our younger players have already shown incredible maturity in high-pressured situations and proved they can perform in big moments, so giving them the opportunity to compete on this stage alongside the likes of Alex Noren and Thomas Pieters will be really important at the beginning of what could be a big year for them.”

Fleetwood leads the island Europeans

Fleetwood, who combined with Molinari to collect four points from four matches at the 2018 Ryder Cup in France, said: “I am really pleased with the players who will form the Great Britain and Ireland team next year.

“Having the experience of Shane and Tyrrell will be invaluable for the rest of the team in a match play environment but I think we are really strong throughout the team. We have proven winners in some of the biggest DP World Tour events and it will be great to have Séámus with us following his excellent start to the season in America.”

Dr Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO, Hero MotoCorp, said: “We are delighted to see the best of emerging talent from Europe together with established Major Champions and Ryder Cup stars at the upcoming Hero Cup in January. It is going to be a fantastic week of top class golf and a keen tussle on the course between these two strong teams.”

2023 Hero Cup Teams

Continental Europe Great Britain & Ireland
Francesco MOLINARI (C) Tommy FLEETWOOD (C)
Thomas DETRY Ewen FERGUSON
Rasmus HØJGAARD Tyrrell HATTON
Adrian MERONK Shane LOWRY
Guido MIGLIOZZI Robert MACINTYRE
Alex NOREN Seamus POWER
Victor PEREZ Callum SHINKWIN
Thomas PIETERS Jordan SMITH
Sepp STRAKA Matt WALLACE
Player TBC Player TBC

(Text: Press release DP World Tour)

Categories
Highlights Tours

Nicolas Colsaerts named as vice captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup

Nicolas Colsaerts will be Ryder Cup vice-captain of Team Europe next year. (Photo: Getty)
Nicolas Colsaerts will be Ryder Cup vice-captain of Team Europe next year. (Photo: Getty)

Luke Donald has named Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts as his third Vice Captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup which will be played at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy from September 26 – October 1, 2023.
 
Colsaerts was part of the most famous European victory in the annals of the Ryder Cup in the 2012 contest at Medinah; producing one of the most memorable debuts in the history of the event when he carded eight birdies and an eagle in partnership with Lee Westwood to help defeat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker on the final green in the Friday fourball session.
 
Outside of the Ryder Cup arena, Colsaerts has won three times on the DP World Tour, previously known as the European Tour. His most recent was a dramatic triumph in the 2019 Open de France, where he entered the week battling to keep his Tour card and ended it style with a one shot victory. To date, he has played in 436 Tour events to lie 84th in the list of all-time appearances.
 
Colsaerts is a well-liked figure on Tour and will undoubtedly be a popular addition to Team Europe. The Belgian joins Dane Thomas Bjørn, the successful 2018 European Captain, and Italian Edoardo Molinari as Vice Captains for the 2023 contest; his appointment being the perfect belated birthday gift for him as he turned 40 only last week.
 
Colsaerts said: “My first reaction when Luke asked me was sheer joy. Every time I hear the words ‘Ryder Cup’, it takes me back to the edition I played in, how proud I was to wear the European colours and be part of such an unbelievable event. Of course, Luke was in that team too and when we spoke he mentioned how much he has always loved what the Ryder Cup means to me.
 
“Being a Vice Captain is a different role to being a player but, nevertheless, my mission in 2023 will be exactly the same as it was in 2012, namely, to make a contribution to the team in any way I can. Rest assured, whatever I am asked to do, I will do it.
 
“We already have two fantastic Vice Captains in Thomas Bjørn and Edoardo Molinari and we already have a special bond between us. We are all different personalities but that is interesting because when you put us all in a room together you will have different angles, and Luke will be able to take what is best from each of us.
 
“When you play team sport as a youngster you are told that the most important thing is to participate and while that is true then, when you are a professional golfer in the Ryder Cup, when you wear the colours and you step onto that first tee, the only thing you want to do is to win; not only for the other guys on the team, but also for the Continent you are representing. That is what we want to do in Rome.”
 
Captain Donald said: “Nico has been on my mind for a couple of months now to be honest. I played in the team with him in 2012 and you could just see how much it meant to him. He understands what it means to represent the European crest and what it means to be part of the Ryder Cup set-up. When I asked him, he literally had goosebumps – so I am very happy to have him as my third Vice Captain.
 
“Nico gets along extremely well with all the guys out here on the DP World Tour and he will be a great person to help keep an eye on things here in Europe in periods when I might be in the US. There is already great communication between us – myself, Thomas, Edoardo and Nico – and I couldn’t be happier with the way my backroom team is shaping up.”

Text: Team Europe/ DP World Tour

Categories
Panorama

Henrik Stenson names first vice-captain for 2023 Ryder Cup

Henrik Stenson (right) is counting on Thomas Bjørn as his first vice captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)
Henrik Stenson (right) is counting on Thomas Bjørn as his first vice captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)

The team around Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson is starting to grow. Thomas Bjørn has been named first vice-captain for the match between Europe and the United States. The 51-year-old Dane already brings a lot of Ryder Cup experience with him. He has already taken part in the event eight times: three times as a player, four times as vice-captain and once as the winning captain at the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris. More than 20 years ago, in 1997, Thomas Bjørn’s Ryder Cup career began when he became the first Dane ever to be part of the European team led by Seve Ballesteros.

Stenson trusts Thomas Bjørn “implicitly”

The two Scandinavians Henrik Stenson and Thomas Bjørn have known each other for many years. For Stenson, that’s one point that significantly influenced his decision to go with Bjørn: “I trust him implicitly and I know any advice he will give me will be honest and direct. He will not simply tell me what he thinks I want to hear and that will be important, so I’m delighted to have him as my first Vice Captain for Rome.”

In addition, Stenson said he trusts Bjørn’s years of experience already with the Ryder Cup. Considering the fact that the Ryder Cup will not take place for over a year, Stenson is looking forward to the long preparation period: “I will be depending on him a lot and I’m really looking forward to those chats.”

Bjørn is looking forward to the Ryder Cup 2023

For Thomas Bjørn, Henrik Stenson’s request seemed to have come as a surprise: “I probably thought that after 2018 that was it for me, but Henrik called me to talk about Captaincy in general and that led into him asking me if I wanted to do another stint as Vice Captain, which I agreed to. I’m excited to work with him.” Thomas Bjørn intends to fulfill his role as vice captain as best he can: “I will help him prepare in the best possible way and as we get closer to the match, to be an additional support to the players.”

The Dane has high hopes for captain Henrik Stenson, both golf-wise and personally. He describes Stenson as a “hard-working golfer” who will make a fantastic captain. For Bjørn, Stenson is “somebody who is true to himself, and his team will represent that. He has a great sense of humour that the players will take to, and he is very well liked across the whole Tour.”

Categories
Highlights Tours

Ryder Cup 2023: Players and fans are excited for “The Iceman”

Ryder Cup 2023: Henrik Stenson will lead Team Europe. (Photo: Getty)
Ryder Cup 2023: Henrik Stenson will lead Team Europe. (Photo: Getty)

It was announced on Tuesday that Henrik Stenson will lead his fellow Europeans into the 2023 Ryder Cup as captain. The Swede will send Europe’s best golfers into the race against the Americans led by Zach Johnson at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy. On the web, many fans and (former) players are reacting delightedly to this news, but others also see the decision critically.

Ryder Cup 2023: Henrik Stenson European Captain in Rome

Ryder Cup 2023: Excitement for the “Iceman”

Sir Nick Faldo, who captained Team Europe at the 2008 Ryder Cup, describes Henrik Stenson as a “great guy”, but points out that he has a “really tough job” ahead of him. “Half the team will probably be the old school, the backbone with maybe six unknown-ish rookies.” Faldo wishes him and the team the best of luck against the seemingly overpowering Americans.

Another former team captain, Thomas Bjørn, also congratulates the 45-year-old on his nomination. “Time to get behind “The Iceman”,” the 2018 captain encourages the new skipper.

Paul Lawrie, 1999 Open champion and winner part of the victorious 2012 team at Medinah, was also considered a candidate for the captaincy. The Scot sends his congratulations to Henrik Stenson and the team.

Colin Montgomerie can look back on many years of Ryder Cup experience and also congratulates.

Other players also react to the announcement of their new captain. Ross Fisher, 2010 Ryder Cup winner, writes: “I know you will be a great captain for the lucky 12 boys in Rome.”

Jon Rahm and Justin Rose also react to the announcement on Twitter.

Ian Poulter congratulated with this funny video:

Fans’ reactions about Henrik Stenson

For many fans the choice of captain is the right one, Henrik Stenson has a “very likeable and charismatic character,” this tweet says, but: “The Americans will be hard to stop in Rome with the talent at their disposal.”

Other fans and also journalists are looking forward to the prankster Stenson in particular. “As captain You are allowed to prank players extra,” this fan says excitedly.

Rex Hoggard says “the Swede’s press conferences will be can’t-miss.”

But there are also dissenting voices. This fan sees Henrik Stenson as “not a leader of men” and congratulates the Americans prematurely on their victory.

This is contrasted by other opinions.

Whether Henrik Stenson was the “right” choice will only become clear next year when the matches are played at the Marco Simone Golf Club. In any case, Team USA is facing “a worthy opponent”.