A FORMAL decision on the 2012 Ryder Cup captaincy will not be made until early next year, but Jose Maria Olazabal can start selecting his wardrobe after several of the most influential figures lined up yesterday behind his candidacy.
Colin Montgomerie, fresh from the triumph at Celtic Manor and from ruling himself out from another run at the job, led the charge, citing the Spaniard’s record as a Ryder Cup player and commitment to the European cause as ample qualification to lead the team at Medinah, outside Chicago, two years hence.
“Jose did brilliantly as one of my assistants here and it was also only right we had a picture of him and Seve [Ballesteros] in our team room and then at the closing ceremony,” the Scot said. “It was between him and me for the captaincy this time, and in two years’ time he’ll be 46, just a year younger than I am now. I do hope he will be well enough to be the next captain.”
Olazabal, who was added to the backroom team in south Wales at the last minute, has long suffered from rheumatism and has played only once this year. He is due to play in the Castello Masters in Spain this month and should be able to resume his playing career, although possibly on a much reduced schedule.
After Nick Faldo’s losing, and much criticised, effort in 2008, there was a belief on the European Tour players’ committee, which appoints the captain, that all future candidates would need to be “closer” to the players – a shift in attitude which saw Montgomerie, who is still playing on tour, almost press-ganged into the job.
However, such is Olazabal’s stature within the European game he would be an automatic choice for 2012 even if he is no longer playing. “I think [Olazabal] would be all the players’ choice,” Pádraig Harrington said yesterday.
“He has had a great Ryder Cup career, he brings a lot of passion to the game and he looks like he’d make a great captain, but it’s a tough job. Monty did a great job this week. To be remembered as a great captain you need to have a winning team, so there’s a lot of pressure on Olly if he does take it.”
The case for a Spanish captaincy received further backing from Darren Clarke (42) and Paul McGinley (43), two more of Montgomerie’s vice-captains in south Wales and both of whom are members of the players’ committee. Both Irishmen have stated a desire to become a Ryder Cup captain but yesterday they ruled out 2012, deferring instead to Olazabal.
“It would be great if the honour comes my way but I hope he [Olazabal] will be next,” McGinley said. “Fingers crossed for him.” His sentiments were echoed by Clarke, who said: “I want to try and play another one if I can. Jose Maria has been battling illness but if he can come back to proper form then all of Europe and all of this team would welcome him as captain in two years’ time.”
Only Olazabal himself seemed to reject the notion his appointment for 2012 is a foregone conclusion, although even he – a stickler for procedures – could not but help pre-empt future debate about who leads the team.
“We have talked about it but there is just one issue and that is my health,” he said. “I would love to do it but you have to fulfil certain things. You need to be close to the players and play with them during the qualifying process – that is why it [health] is the only question mark.”
Guardian Service
