European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has appointed José María Olazábal as the third deputy captain of the match in New York in September.
When Europe won such a convincing victory in Italy in 2023, Olazábal was also one of Donald's five representatives. The 59-year-old Spaniard was the last captain to lead Europe to victory on American soil, overseeing the most famous comeback victory ever in Medinah in 2012.
As a player, he represented Europe seven times in the Ryder Cup from 1987 to 2006, establishing the most iconic partner in biennial competition history with fellow compatriot Seve Ballesteros.
This year's Ryder Cup will be Olazábal's fifth vice-captain since taking the position in 2008, 2010 and 2014 and two years ago. He rejoined the Italian Edoardo Molinari from Denmark's Thomas Bjørn and Donald's fallen team.
Olasabar said: “That's great news. When Luke approached me and asked me about the possibility of becoming vice captain again, I had to be honest, I thought about it for a while because, you know, you know, in New York, it's not easy. But, Ryder Cup is very close to my heart.
“I think Luke did a great job in Rome and I'm sure he will do a great job this time too. He absolutely took care of all the details – players, caddies, families, families. It's great to see some lines he came up with and images of past champions and past champions. It's also great to see players he's done very close to this week.
“It's hard to win when leaving home in the United States. In New York, we know the crowd will be very loud and the golf course will be set up by the American team – we have to deal with that, too. I think there's nothing more to golfers facing the challenge at home than to the challenge at home, and we have to be prepared for that.”
Donald said: “I'm so happy to welcome José María back to the role of vice captain. He is synonymous with European golf and Ryder Cup and everything it stands for. So it's very positive for us to get him back to a part of my behind-the-scenes team. His passion for Ryder Cup is second. He's just an inspiration for many players.
“It's also very important for us to know that we have the last captain to win on foreign land on our side. I'm part of a team and I have to witness the inspiration he drew from Seve that week from Seve. When we all need that experience, that passion, that kind of heart and that kind of heart, there can be some tough times in New York.”
