Ryder Cup skipper Pádraig Harrington has named two of Europe’s greatest “pressure” players as vice-captains for Whistling Straits.
The Dubliner has had 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell (41) in mind since he was named as captain 29 months ago.
But while he admits it was a “shock” to Martin Kaymer (36) to be asked to join McDowell, Robert Karlsson and Luke Donald in his backroom team, he needs cool heads under pressure at Whistling Straits.
“He’s well-respected amongst the players and he brings that sort of coolness emotionally to the team itself, and you need that very much when it comes to everything in golf but especially the Ryder Cup,” Harrington said of McDowell. “When he said something, he was spot on and didn’t say too much.”
As for Kaymer, he added: “I think Martin is going to bring the perfect balance to my vice-captains in the sense of he will be a very cool hand in what can be quite a turbulent emotional scene when it comes to picking teams and everything that’s going on in the locker room of a Ryder Cup.”
“Honoured” to be named, McDowell knows what’s required after assisting Thomas Bjorn in a seven-point win in Paris in 2018.
“The captain is under a huge amount of pressure and the vice-captains really have to try and pick up the pieces for him a little bit around the team room,” he said. “It’s a huge pressure week. There’s a lot of stuff going on, and like I say, I felt I learned a huge amount in 2018 about how to communicate with the players, what everybody needs, what the captain needs to help them do his job.”
Kaymer was not found wanting when asked how he felt about a potential England versus Germany clash at Euro 2020 next Tuesday.
“We all know how that will go,” the German said, deadpan, before a ball had been kicked in Group F last night. “We just need to look back at history and know what the result will be. That’s all I have to say.”
Smiling, Harrington said: “Perfect vice-captain.”
The Dubliner will be joined at the BMW International in Munich by Jonny Caldwell, Paul Dunne and Niall Kearney.
On the LPGA Tour, the in-form Leona Maguire has turned the clock back to zero after her runner-up finish in the Meijer LPGA Classic last Sunday as she chases Major glory in the KPMG Women’s PGA at a soggy Atlanta Athletic Club.
“I have to forget about what happened last week,” she said. “It is a very different golf course this week, it probably will favour the longer hitters so I will have to try and rely on my wedges on the par-fives a bit more and just really squeeze every last bit out that I can.”
Meanwhile, Kinsale’s John Murphy will make his Challenge Tour debut as part of a seven-strong Irish contingent in the Open de Bretagne that also includes Paul McBride, Robin Dawson, Jonathan Yates, Conor O’Rourke, Cameron Raymond and Gavin Moynihan.
On the PGA Tour, 166th-ranked Séamus Power has a chance to edge closer to the all-important top 125 in the FedEx Cup after he qualified for the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands where five of the world’s top 10 tee it up – Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed.
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