HARRINGTON TO LEAD EUROPE

IRELAND’S Padraig Harrington was named Europe’s captain for the 2020 Ryder Cup yesterday, less than four months after helping the team to a crushing victory over the United States in Paris.

The three-time Major winner had been the clear favourite to succeed Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn for the defence at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, after having served as vice-captain at the last three Ryder Cups.

Harrington, who won back-to-back British Opens in 2007 and 2008 before going on to win his third Major at that year’s PGA Championship, also played in six successive Ryder Cups from 1999, helping Europe to four victories.

“It’s not something I take on without a certain amount of trepidation,” he said.

“I have played under many wonderful European captains since I made my debut in the contest 20 years ago, and I would like to think that my captaincy will be a mix of all of them.”

Harrington is the third Irish captain of the Europe team in the last four editions.

Paul McGinley successfully captained Europe at Gleneagles in 2012, while Darren Clarke lost out on American soil at Hazeltine in 2014. McGinley and Clarke were among those in a five-man committee to select the captain for Whistling Straits.

Harrington became the favourite after England’s former world number one Lee Westwood, one of the five European vicecaptains in 2018, indicated a preference to do the job in Italy in 2022 when Rome hosts the event.

Several key Europe players, including Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and England’s Justin Rose, had given Harrington public backing to lead the team in their title defence.