Ryder Cup: Win, lose or draw in this year's Ryder Cup in Detroit, European captain Bernhard Langer has no intention of hanging around for a second term.
In ruling himself out of the captaincy for the 2006 encounter at the K Club, Langer remarked: "I will be a one-term captain. It's not by choice, but there are a number of guys who have expressed strong interest in becoming captain of the Ryder Cup team and it wouldn't be fair for me to stay on and take up that opportunity on any of them."
So, with Langer putting himself out of the equation, it would seem the leading contenders for the role in Ireland in two years are now Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam.
Although Des Smyth, Christy O'Connor Jnr and Eamonn Darcy have all officially applied for the position - which is unlikely to be filled until some date in 2005 - it may well be that the best any of them can hope for is to be appointed as vice-captain to whoever manages to get the nomination.
Certainly, the arguments that any of the Irish contenders (all currently playing on the Champions Tour in the US) would be too far removed from happenings on the European Tour to undertake any duty would appear to have had cold water thrown on them by Langer's actions in appointing Sweden's Anders Forsbrand as his deputy for the defence of the trophy at Oakland Hills in Detroit on September 17th-19th.
Forsbrand, aged 42, now lives in Florida and no longer plays on tour and has little contact - until now - with players likely to make the team. Indeed, Langer - who also lives in Florida - admitted that much of their observation of players will be made from watching the Golf Channel (which televises European Tour events live in the US).
"It's really only in the two months leading up to the Ryder Cup that you've got to pay close attention to form," said Langer.
Although Forsbrand never played in a Ryder Cup, and admitted he has never been to one, he played in seven Dunhill Cups and six World Cups, winning both for Sweden in 1991.
"In my opinion it is imperative to have a vice-captain with whom I and the players feel comfortable, and Anders was my first choice, I really like his character," insisted Langer, who also revealed he will include another Swede, Joakim Haeggman, as part of his backroom team if the player doesn't make the team itself.
"Our goal is to retain the Ryder Cup and I believe Anders will help in achieving that. I'll be hard with him, and he'll be hard with me . . . he's honest, straightforward and has integrity," added Langer.
Of how the team seems to be shaping up, Langer claimed there was no need to be concerned at the absence of any European player in the world's top-10. "It's just that there is no dominant player (in Europe) at the moment, but there is a pretty good depth. I'd expect to see someone like Darren Clarke, or one of the other guys, moving back into the top-10 very soon."
He added: "We'll always be the underdogs anyway, even though we are the holders. We've always looked weaker on paper but managed to win as many as they have (in recent times)."
Langer does not plan to organise advance visits to the Oakland Hills course, which he remembers from previous US Opens as "very demanding" and possessing greens even more demanding than those at Augusta.
"I don't plan any team visits. We'll have 12 of the best players and 12 of the best caddies in the world . . . if they can't figure out the course in three days, there is something wrong."
