With a little over 12 months until battle commences once again in the Ryder Cup, Team Europe is looking for a new captain after Henrik Stenson’s position was ended with immediate effect.
The Swede, who only took up the post in March, had been the subject of widespread speculation linking him to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series. Ryder Cup Europe’s decision to remove the 46-year-old as captain all but cements Stenson’s new place on the Greg Norman-fronted venture.
While no decision has yet been made on whether LIV players will be allowed to play at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome next October, it is certain that Stenson will not be at the helm.
With a question mark still firmly hanging over LIV’s European contingent, a number of potential successors to Stenson, including Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer, are unlikely to be considered to take up the top job.
Stenson named Thomas Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari as two of his assistants, while former World No.1 Luke Donald will join them among the favourites. Molinari is not considered to be ready for the job yet but former captain Bjorn, who enjoyed a successful stint in charge in Paris in 2018, is thought to be interested in returning to the helm, and given the relatively short turnaround, having his experience is a plus.
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Padraig Harrington, who presided over the heavily-defeated European team last time out in Whistling Straights, has publicly backed Donald as his successor, and it’s difficult to argue with his resume. Donald has made four Ryder Cup appearances and has never featured on a losing side with a playing record of 10-4-1. He has won five times on the PGA Tour and has a further seven wins on the DP World Tour.
Others in the running include Stenson’s fellow Swede Robert Karlsson, who has been a vice-captain for the past two teams but yet to be given the top job. If he did succeed his countryman, Karlsson, who topped the Order of Merit in 2008, would be the oldest captain this century aged 54 once the action gets…
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