MADRID, 2 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish golfer José María Olazabal, double winner of the Augusta Masters, will be one of the vice-captains of the European team that will compete in the Ryder Cup to be held in Rome between September 30 and October 2.
The Basque, 57 years old and captain in the biannual event in the remembered 2012 edition in Medinah (United States) with the great comeback in the singles that gave victory to the Europeans, had also held this role of assistant in 2008, 2010 and 2014. As a player, he participated in the Ryder Cup seven times between 1987 and 2006, adding a total of 20 points and forming a great partnership at the time with his compatriot Severiano Ballesteros.
Now, the man from Fuenterrabía joins the team led by Luke Donald along with the Danish Thomas Bjoern, European captain in 2018, the Italian Edoardo Molinari, and the Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, who are the other three vice-captains who will help the Englishman make the best decisions and to follow the players during their tours.
“Given my previous experiences in the Ryder Cup, I am delighted to be involved once again. I am really looking forward to feeling that special adrenaline rush, intensity and electricity that only the Ryder Cup can bring. I am very excited to be a part of it.” all this again”, Olazabal celebrated on the website of the European team.
The Spaniard confessed that it was “a very pleasant surprise” to receive the captain’s offer. “I didn’t expect it, but I was delighted when the call came,” he stressed, stressing that his role will focus on “supporting and helping Luke and the 12 players in everything” within their reach “so they can perform at their best and be able to recover the trophy”.
“I have no doubt that Luke will be a great captain. He has played in the Ryder Cup four times and won them all, and therefore knows what it takes to perform well. He is excellent at detail and how important things are. “It’s things like team spirit. On top of all that, he’s still a very competitive player who plays at a high level and because he’s close to the players and knows what they’ll need to perform at their best”, added the double winner of the ‘ green jacket’.
DONALD: “BRINGS AN INCREDIBLE PASSION”
For his part, Luke Donald highlighted that “when you think of José María Olazabal, you immediately think of the Ryder Cup” and that the Gipuzkoan “brings incredible passion”. “He was my captain when I last played in the Ryder Cup, at Medinah in 2012, and I really enjoyed playing for him that year,” he said.
“He picked me to play number one in singles and that was very gratifying. Knowing that he had that respect and confidence in me to go out there and lead Europe on such a pressured final day meant a lot. Now with this, maybe I feel like I’m returning that favor a bit, as I have a huge amount of confidence in him”, admitted the Englishman.
He is clear that “just his mere presence brings energy to any Ryder Cup environment.” “I saw it first hand when I asked him to take part in the Hero Cup that we hosted in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. He was a big part of that week, being with the players and sharing stories with them of what the Ryder is all about. “, he commented.
“People realize when José María walks into a room and you could see at the Hero Cup how much everyone respected and admired him for everything he’s done in golf. I couldn’t be more excited to have him on my team,” he said. the captain of europe