(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 15 - Sweden's Henrik Stenson aka 'Iceman'
was named Tuesday Europe's captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup in
Rome.
2016 British Open champ Stenson, 45, also won the silver medal
at the 2016 Rio Olympics and has played in five Ryder Cups, in
2006, 2008, 2014, 2016 e 2018, winning three and losing two
including a crushing defeat last September in Wisconsin, when he
acted as vice captain to Ireland's Padraig Harrington.
"We are hungry for victory" said Stenson in an exclusive
interview with ANSA.
"I'm honoured to captain Europe. My experiences as a player in
this competition are unforgettable.
"It will be electric to lead Europe at the Marco Simone Golf &
Country Club in Rome in 2023 before the wonderful Italian fans".
The 44th Ryder Cup, which will take place September 29-October 1
next year, will be the first to be held in Italy.
Stenson said the world of golf was ready to show it is at
Ukraine's side after the Russian invasion. "The golf community
will give its support, including to the Ukrainian federation,"
he said. "It's a terrible situation and the hope is that peace
can come soon".
Stenson has a good relationship with Italy, winning the
International Championships in Lombardy as an amateur in 1996.
He said he will keep a keen eye on Italy's golfers in view of
the event. "We will prepare in the best possible way for the
2023 challenge," Stenson said. "We come off a defeat that showed
all the strength and quality of the USA, but we will have the
crowd on our side in Rome.
As for the Italian players, Stenson said three-time Ryder Cup
winner and 2018 Open champion Francesco Molinari is not the only
one he will be watching. "Francesco Molinari was the best player
at the Paris Ryder Cup in 2018, proving decisive until the end,"
Stenson said. "But he won't be the only Italian player I will
follow in view of the 2023 event in Rome. "I intend to monitor
all the tournaments that the Italians are involved in along with
the other European players. "We have an 18-month journey ahead
of us. "The road is long and it is impossible today to know who
the 12 players on the course will be in 2023. "But I can
guarantee that we will be ready. The team will be a mix of
experience and youth. "I'll do my utmost to give all the players
the necessary support". The favourites to be in the team include
Spain's Jon Rahm and Norway's Viktor Hovland, the world number
one and number three respectively, and Northern Ireland's Rory
McIlroy. Ryder Cup Europe is set to announce the selection
criteria soon. Stenson also spoke about the venue for the 2023
Ryder Cup, the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. "I had the
chance to experience the course by taking part in the 2021
Italian Open and I found it to be fantastic," he said. "I'll
follow the preparation of the course as the event approaches in
order to make the most of my players' characteristics".
Stenson is a fantastic choice as team Europe's Ryder Cup
captain for next year's event outside Rome, Italian Golf
Federation President Franco Chimenti said after the appointment
Tuesday. "Stenson is a fantastic choice. He's a very great
player, who has shown his value in his excellent career and he
has all the qualifications to represent Europe in such an
important event", he said. "Stenson is, moreover, a decent man.
I hope to meet him soon so I can compliment him personally. A
plaudit for Ryder Cup Europe, too, for this excellent choice."
Stenson must create unity and team-work, the director general of
the Ryder Cup 2023 project, Gian Paolo Montali, said Tuesday.
"I'm very happy for Henrik Stenson's appointment as captain of
Team Europe for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. It is a fundamental
and extremely important choice for he coming challenge against
the United States in which the Old Continent is called on to
redeem the defeat to the US last September in Wisconsin. Stenson
will lead the European team at the Marco Simone Golf & Country
Club at Guidonia Montecelio outside Rome next year. "His role
will be very important to create unity and team work, above all
at such a delicate moment in history. I look forward to his
arriving in Italy, where he will find the utmost collaboration
to return Team Europe to success".
Born in Gothenburg on April 5, 1976, married with three
children, Stenson was the first golfer to win the FedEx Cup and
the Race to Dubai in the same year, in 2013. The first Swede to
captain Europe, Stenson opted for golf over soccer and badminton
before becoming a teenager. A very keen skier, he played his
first gold round when he was just 12. A professional since 1998,
he has also won the WGC Match Play Championship in 2007 and The
Players Championship in 2009. (ANSA).