Ryder Cup Vice-Captain Role Resumes for Olazabal in European Team
From the Green to the Blue 🇪🇸
The Spanish legend, José María Olazábal, who clinched Europe's last away Ryder Cup win at Medinah in 2012, is stepping up once more to help Team Europe steal the show at Bethpage Black, New York, this time as Luke Donald's wingman.
Olazábal, who's no stranger to the Ryder Cup game, having played in it a whopping 31 times, will be joining Thomas Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari in the team's locker room. This trio of veterans knows a thing or two about navigating the Ryder Cup waters, having already served as vice-captains in 2023.
"With New York looming, I gave it some thought because, hey, it ain't gonna be a walk in the park," quipped two-time Masters champion, Olazábal. "But this Ryder Cup is like a second home to me. The memories... they're priceless. So, I said, 'sign me up.'"
Olazábal and his team will be attempting to clinch a back-to-back victory after regaining the trophy from the US in Rome two years ago. This feat would make him the first captain to achieve this since Bernard Gallacher's third win back in 1995.
"Having the last captain to win away from home in our corner? That's huge," says Englishman captain, Donald. "I was part of that team as a player and man, when things get tough in New York, we're gonna need that grit, that passion, and that unbreakable spirit that Olazábal brings."
The "Miracle at Medinah" in 2012, where Europe stunned the Americans after trailing 10-4, was the last time either team conquered foreign soil. With Olazábal rejoining the fray, hopes are high for history to repeat itself.
© 2025 AFP
- José María Olazábal, who clinched Europe's last away Ryder Cup win in the United States at Medinah in 2012, will be returning as Luke Donald's wingman in the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, New York.
- Olazábal will be joining Thomas Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari in the team's locker room, as all three veterans have served as vice-captains in past Ryder Cup events.
- Olazábal and his team will be attempting to clinch a back-to-back victory in golf's most prestigious sports event, having already regained the trophy from the US during the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.
- With the historic "Miracle at Medinah" in 2012 serving as the last time either team conquered foreign soil, expectations are high for Olazábal's return to help Team Europe repeat history in the 2025 Ryder Cup.
