Francesco Molinari Returns as Vice-Captain for the Ryder Cup
Italian golfer Francesco Molinari, remembered for his decisive point against Tiger Woods in Europe’s last victory on American soil during the Ryder Cup, returns as vice-captain on the team led by Luke Donald for the September event at Bethpage Black, New York. Molinari joins his brother Edoardo, Thomas Bjørn and José María Olazábal as vice-captains this year. The four also served in this role under Donald in 2023, when Europe triumphed in the Ryder Cup held at Marco Simone, near Rome. In 2018, Francesco Molinari made history by becoming the first European player to win all five matches he played in a Ryder Cup, in which Bjorn’s team triumphed at Le Golf National, Paris. That same year, he was crowned champion of the British Open at Carnoustie, marking a milestone as the first Italian to win a major.Molinari expressed his desire to “transmit my experience” from when he faced Woods at Medinah in 2012, under Olazábal’s captaincy. That victory is remembered as the “Miracle at Medinah”.It’s going to be a big challenge at Bethpage. You just have to look at the stats to see how difficult it is to win the Ryder Cup away from home. It hasn’t happened very often recently, so it’s a big challenge, but it’s a great opportunity to try and do something that, if it happens, will be remembered for a long, long time.
Francesco Molinari
Donald added about Molinari:Medinah still holds a special place in my memories and in my heart, and I would be very happy and proud to see this generation of players complete something like that.
Francesco Molinari
The Ryder Cup is scheduled to take place from September 26 to 28.He knows how to win the Ryder Cup, having been on three winning teams, and I think that’s really important for us. Obviously, we have a difficult task ahead of us trying to win away from home in New York. I think he brings a very calm head. He’s someone who listens a lot and has good ideas. He speaks when he feels he needs to. I love his demeanor. He just doesn’t seem to get too flustered. He doesn’t seem to be too up or too down. I think that will be important in a place like New York, an away Ryder Cup.
Luke Donald
