Photo: DR

The 45-year-old golfer was the first Dane to represent Europe in this event. He made his debut there under the leadership of Severiano Ballesteros in 1997, when the competition was held for the first time in continental Europe, precisely in Valderrama (Spain). Twenty-one years later, he would become the first Dane and the first Scandinavian to take the European team to the Ryder Cup's second visit to mainland Europe.

It is with a very rich experience that Bjørn will approach his captaincy. Triple winner of the event as a player, he brandished the trophy in 1997, for his debut, at Belfry in 2002 and then at Gleneagles in 2014. He also served as vice-captain on four occasions: at the orders of Bernhard Langer in 2004, Colin Montgomerie in 2010, José María Olazábal in 2012 and Darren Clarke at Hazeltine National, last October. Finally, he has made a significant contribution to the development of the European Tour as President of the Tournament Committee since 2007, a role he will relinquish now that he has been appointed captain.

The man with 15 titles on the European circuit, twice second in the British Open (2003 and 2005), knows the route of the 2018 edition particularly well, having participated 14 times in the French Open, with a third place in 2007.

He was named captain of the 2018 Ryder Cup European team by a five-man panel comprising the last three European captains (Clarke, McGinley and Olazábal) as well as European Tour Director Keith Pelley and a member of the " Tournament Commitee ”of the European Tour, Henrik Stenson.

Thomas Bjørn said: “It is a great honor to have been named captain of the European team for the 2018 Ryder Cup, which will take place in Paris. It is without a doubt one of the greatest moments of my career. "

“I was able to analyze the work done by several captains as a player and vice-captain, and I always wondered what it was like to bring a team of 12 great players. Now I will be able to discover it from the inside and I am delighted. "

“I've been living to the rhythm of the European Tour for many years and will continue to do so on behalf of the Ryder Cup for the next two years. I can't wait to get down to business. "

Bjørn's Ryder Cup career began in 1997, when he joined the Ballesteros squad barely a year after winning the first of his fifteen European Tour titles (at the Loch Lomond World Invitational), and two years barely after finishing No. 1 in the Challenge Tour, in 1995. He signed a point and a half on his two matches played at Valderrama, a match won by four balls, associated with Ian Woosnam against Justin Leonard and Brad Faxon, and a single shared against Leonard.

In his next appearance in 2002 at Belfry, Bjørn pocketed two points in his four games, beating Tiger Woods and Paul Azinger alongside Clarke in four balls, then Stewart Cink in singles.

He then had to wait 12 years before participating in his third edition, at Gleneagles, as a player. Qualified for McGinley's team, he grabbed a half point with Martin Kaymer against Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker in Friday's four balls.

Between his second and third appearance, Bjørn joined the staff on three occasions, collaborating with Langer in Oakland Hills in 2004, with Montgomerie at Celtic Manor Resort in 2010 and with Olazábal in Medinah in 2012. He also took part as vice-captain, alongside Clarke, at the 2016 edition at Hazeltine National, in what will remain his only loss in the Ryder Cup in this position.

Bjørn now succeeds Clarke with the ambition to reclaim the Ryder Cup and extend the European team's impressive home run to six consecutive victories.

Keith Pelley, Director of the European Tour, spoke on behalf of the Ryder Cup Europe Selection Panel: “We are pleased to announce that Thomas has accepted the proposal submitted by the panel and will be the captain of the European team for the 2018 Ryder Cup, which will take place at Golf National. "

“Thomas has many strengths that he will be able to put to good use in his role as captain. First of all, he is an extremely experienced golfer who has won three Ryder Cup editions and has taken on the role of vice-captain four times. He is also someone who knows how to get involved, as he demonstrated by occupying the post of President of the "Tournament Commitee". We are sure he will show the same commitment as captain of the European Ryder Cup team. "

“Finally, he is a passionate man. Not only from this fabulous sport, but also from the European Tour and the European team. He also wants the Ryder Cup to be the biggest sporting event possible. In such conditions, I am sure he will make a great Ryder Cup captain. "

Bjørn is the second captain, after Clarke, to be nominated through the new Ryder Cup Europe selection process, the third system in place to appoint the Ryder Cup captain since the entry of players from Continental Europe in 1979 to Greenbrier (West Virginia), under the captaincy of John Jacobs.

From that date until 1997, when Ballesteros offered the title to Europe in his garden in Valderrama, the captain of the European Ryder Cup team was chosen by the Ryder Cup Committee, which elected Jacobs for a new mandate in 1981, then Tony Jacklin in 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1989, and again Bernard Gallacher in 1991, 1993 and 1995.

In 1999, Mark James was the first European captain appointed by the "Tournament Commitee" of the European Tour and ratified by Ryder Cup Europe, a procedure which will then lead to the nominations of Sam Torrance (2002), Bernhard Langer (2004), Ian Woosnam (2006), Sir Nick Faldo (2008), Montgomerie (2010), Olazábal ( 2012) and McGinley (2014).