Jose Maria Olazabal named Ryder Cup vice captain

Team Europe's Luke Donald selected Jose Maria Olazabal as his third vice captain for this year's Ryder Cup on Wednesday.

Olazabal, 59, captained the Europeans to a come-from-behind, 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 victory at the 2012 Ryder Cup competition in Medinah, Ill.

That marked the last time Europe won the biennial competition on U.S. soil. The 2025 Ryder Cup is being held from Sept. 26-28 at Bethpage Black in New York.

"It's really hard to win away from home in the United States. In New York, we know the crowds are going to be very loud and the golf course will be set up in favor of the U.S. team," Olazabal said. "There is not any bigger challenge for a golfer than facing a Ryder Cup away from home and we have to be mentally prepared."

This will be Olazabal's fifth time as a vice captain, including two years ago when Team Europe earned a 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 win in Italy. The Spaniard also held that role in 2008, 2010 and 2014.

Donald previously named Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Italy's Edoardo Molinari as vice captains.

Olazabal, a two-time Masters champion, played in the Ryder Cup seven times from 1987 to 2006.

"He is synonymous with European golf and the Ryder Cup," Donald said. "He bleeds blue and gold like nobody else. His passion for the Ryder Cup is second to none."

--Field Level Media