‘Miracle at Medinah’ skipper named Ryder Cup Europe vice-captain

Eleven years after he masterminded the Miracle at Medinah as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal was named the continent’s fourth vice-captain by team leader Luke Donald of England to be played later this year in Rome.

Olazabal who has also been vice-captain during the 2008, 2010 and 2014 campaigns, will join Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Italian Edoardo Molinari, who were named vice-captains earlier in Donald’s brains trust for the September 26 to October 1 biennial cross-Atlantic showdown at Rome's Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

Olazabal, who played for Europe from 1987 to 2006, was Europe captain when the continental team overturned a strong US team at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois on the final day, overturning a 6-10 points deficit on the final day’s singles matches to win the Ryder Cup 14.5 points to 13.5 points on a Sunday that continues to be acknowledged as the greatest comeback in the history of the competition.

The icing on the cake was a missed putt by Tiger Woods on the final green to concede the hole to Francesco Molinari in a drawn match and hand Europe an extra half point after they had already sealed the outright victory on the previous match between Martin Kaymer and Steve Stricker. Olazabal later dedicated the victory to fellow Spaniard and former playing partner Seve Ballesteros, who had passed away the previous year.

“I am obviously thrilled to be back involved once again. I am really looking forward to feeling that special adrenaline flow, the intensity and the electricity that only the Ryder Cup can bring...,” Olazabal, 57, said.

“My role will be the same as the rest of the vice-captains, namely to support and help Luke and the 12 players in any way we can, so they can perform at their best and be able to win that trophy back. I have no doubts that Luke will be a great captain. He has played in the Ryder Cup four times and won four times and he therefore knows what is required to perform well in the match.

“He is great on detail and how important things like team spirit are. On top of all of that, he is still very much a competitive player playing at a high level. Because of that he is close to the players and he knows what they will need to perform to their best. My job as Vice-Captain will be to help him achieve that.”

Two-time Masters winner Olazabal captained Europe when Donald was a member of the team, Colsaerts was the captain's pick and Bjorn was one of his vice-captains.

“He was my captain when I last played in the Ryder Cup – at Medinah in 2012 – and I thoroughly enjoyed playing for him that year. He picked me to play number one in the singles and that was hugely gratifying,” Donald said on Wednesday.

“To know he had that respect and confidence in me to go out and lead Europe in such a pressurised last-day environment meant a lot, and this feels, perhaps, that I am returning that favour a little bit, as I have a huge amount of confidence in him...

“People notice when Jose Maria walks into a room. I could not be more excited to have him on my team.”

The US will defend their victory in Wisconsin last year though it must be remembered that Europe have not lost a Ryder Cup at home soil since 1993.