Bjorn named vice-captain for 2023 Ryder Cup

Henrik Stenson (left) has named Thomas Bjorn as his first vice-captain

Henrik Stenson has appointed Thomas Bjorn as his first vice-captain of Team Europe for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Bjorn, who captained Europe to victory in Paris in 2018, has previously been vice-captain four times and will make it five when Stenson’s team look to regain the Ryder Cup in Italy.

The 15-time DP World Tour winner said on Twitter: “I thought my @RyderCupEurope story may have concluded in Paris but, once @henrikstenson took charge, I knew I had another chapter left in me! I’m honoured to be Henrik’s VC and I’ll do all I can to support him and his team. Time to get to work and bring that trophy home!”

The United States team will be led by Zach Johnson, who named 2020 winning captain Steve Stricker as his first vice-captain.

“I have known Thomas for my whole career,” Stenson told the official Ryder Cup website. “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.

Bjorn became the first Dane to represent Europe at the Ryder Cup when he competed in the event for the first time under Seve Ballesteros in 1997.

In all he has featured on three occasions as a player, four as vice-captain and once as captain, leading a team including Stenson to glory four years ago.

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Paul McGinley says he supports the decision to select Henrik Stenson as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain for next year’s tournament in Italy

“I think I can help Henrik outline what he wants to do with his captaincy going forwards,” Bjorn added. “I can keep asking him the right questions and reminding him of things that are going to come his way that he might not have thought about.

“I think Henrik will be a fantastic captain. He is so well respected by players and by everyone in the game. He is a very hard-working golfer and somebody who is true to himself, and his team will represent that.”

Europe suffered a record 19-9 defeat to the United States as Whistling Straits last year having won four of the previous five events.

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