Johnson announces third vice-captain for Ryder Cup

Scroll down to see the 2023 Ryder Cup captains…

Team Europe

After Henrik Stenson was stripped as Team Europe skipper for next year’s Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club, Luke Donald will take on the role as he looks to help his side bounce back from a record-breaking defeat at Whistling Straits.

Stenson was removed from his post after informing informing Ryder Cup officials he would be joining the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Having just missed out on the role to begin with, Donald – who represented Europe as a player on four occasions – 2004, 2006, 2010, and 2012 – contributing 10.5 points, assumed the role with Thomas Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari as vice-captains.

And now joining the pair will be Nicolas Colsaerts, the big-hitting Belgian, who was part of arguably the most famous European victory in the annals of the Ryder Cup in the 2012 contest at Medinah.

“Nico has been on my mind for a couple of months now to be honest,” Donald said. “I played in the team with him in 2012 and you could just see how much it meant to him. He understands what it means to represent the European crest and what it means to be part of the Ryder Cup set-up.”

And the opponents?

One man definitely not joining LIV Golf is Zach Johnson, who will skipper the visiting team in Rome as the Americans look to defend their title after Team USA’s victory at Whistling Straits in September 2021.

Johnson played on five Ryder Cup teams between 2006 and 2016, winning one and losing four. He then served as a vice-captain in 2018 and 2021, both of which we won by the home team.

The two-time major winner has since confirmed that Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk will join in Italy as vice-captains. Following his success at the Presidents Cup – where he captained his side to a dominant victory over Team International – Davis Love III has now been announced as the third vice-captain for Team USA.

The 1997 PGA Champion captained his side in 2012 and 2016 respectively, recording a loss in the former at Medinah and a win in the latter at Hazeltine.

Ryder Cup captains

So which players have been the Ryder Cup captains for both the European and American sides down the years? Here’s the complete rundown…

Great Britain Ryder Cup captains

1927: Ted Ray
1929: George Duncan 
1931: Charles Whitcombe
1933: JH Taylor
1935: Charles Whitcombe
1937: Charles Whitcombe 
1947: Henry Cotton
1949: Charles Whitcombe
1951: Arthur Lacey
1953: Henry Cotton
1955: Dai Rees
1957: Dai Rees
1959: Dai Rees
1961: Dai Rees
1963: John Fallon
1965: Harry Weetman
1967: Dai Rees
1967: Eric Brown
1971: Eric Brown

Great Britain & Ireland Ryder Cup captains

1973: Bernard Hunt
1975: Bernard Hunt
1977: Brian Huggett

European Ryder Cup captains

1979: John Jacobs
1981: John Jacobs
1983: Tony Jacklin
1985: Tony Jacklin
1987: Tony Jacklin
1989: Tony Jacklin
1991: Bernard Gallacher
1993: Bernard Gallacher
1995: Bernard Gallacher
1997: Seve Ballesteros
1999: Mark James
2002: Sam Torrance
2004: Bernhard Langer
2006: Ian Woosnam
2008: Nick Faldo
2010: Colin Montgomerie
2012: Jose Maria Olazabal
2014: Paul McGinley
2016: Darren Clarke
2018: Thomas Bjorn
2021: Padraig Harrington
2023: Luke Donald

USA Ryder Cup captains

1927: Walter Hagen
1929: Walter Hagen
1931: Walter Hagen
1933: Walter Hagen
1935: Walter Hagen
1937: Walter Hagen
1947: Ben Hogan
1949: Ben Hogan
1951: Sam Snead
1953: Lloyd Mangrum
1955: Chick Harbert
1957: Jack Burke Jr
1959: Sam Snead
1961: Jerry Barber
1963: Arnold Palmer
1965: Byron Nelson
1967: Ben Hogan
1969: Sam Snead
1971: Jay Herbert
1973: Jack Burke Jr
1975: Arnold Palmer
1977: Dow Finsterwald
1979: Billy Casper
1981: Dave Marr
1983: Jack Nicklaus
1985: Lee Trevino
1987: Jack Nicklaus
1989: Raymond Floyd
1991: Dave Stockton
1993: Tom Watson
1995: Lanny Wadkins
1997: Tom Kite
1999: Ben Crenshaw
2002: Curtis Strange
2004: Hal Sutton
2006: Tom Lehman
2008: Paul Azinger
2010: Corey Pavin
2012: Davis Love III
2014: Tom Watson
2016: Davis Love III
2018: Jim Furyk
2021: Steve Stricker
2023: Zach Johnson

Visit our dedicated Ryder Cup website for more.