Nicolas Colsaerts Named Team Europe Ryder Cup Vice Captain

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald’s team of assistants is beginning to take shape, with Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts named as his third Vice Captain alongside Thomas Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari.

Colsaerts has a memorable history with the Ryder Cup, having been part of the 2012 European team that beat the USA at Medinah. He played a pivotal role in that victory on the Friday when he partnered with Lee Westwood to beat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in the fourball session - a performance that included eight birdies from Colsaerts.

After being handed the role, Colsaerts drew on memories from that tournament to explain how he would approach next year’s event. He said: "My first reaction when Luke asked me was sheer joy. Every time I hear the words ‘Ryder Cup’, it takes me back to the edition I played in, how proud I was to wear the European colours and be part of such an unbelievable event. Of course, Luke was in that team too, and when we spoke he mentioned how much he has always loved what the Ryder Cup means to me.

“Being a Vice Captain is a different role to being a player but, nevertheless, my mission in 2023 will be exactly the same as it was in 2012, namely, to make a contribution to the team in any way I can.”

Colsaerts also explained that he, along with the other two Vice Captains, would bring a range of ideas for Donald to take advantage of. He said: “We already have two fantastic Vice Captains in Thomas Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari, and we already have a special bond between us. We are all different personalities but that is interesting because when you put us all in a room together you will have different angles, and Luke will be able to take what is best from each of us.”

Donald explained that Colsaerts is the perfect fit for the role as he’s fully aware of what representing Europe in the Ryder Cup means. He said: “Nico has been on my mind for a couple of months now to be honest. 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. When I asked him, he literally had goosebumps – so I am very happy to have him as my third Vice Captain.

Donald also explained that Colsaerts’ presence on the DP World Tour would be vital in the build-up to the tournament. He said: “Nico gets along extremely well with all the guys out here on the DP World Tour and he will be a great person to help keep an eye on things here in Europe in periods when I might be in the US. There is already great communication between us – myself, Thomas, Edoardo and Nico – and I couldn’t be happier with the way my backroom team is shaping up.”

The Ryder Cup will be played between 26 September and 1 October 2023 at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome.

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