“What does this appointment as vice-captain mean to you?
For me, it is somewhere the confirmation that I am part of the opinion leaders. It is also a reward for having behaved well during all these years, for having an impeccable reputation but above all for knowing what I am talking about. This Ryder Cup has always meant a lot to me and to my career. I have always identified very strongly with this competition. It’s a huge honor to be part of the hard core of any team.
“As soon as I hear those two words Ryder Cup, every hair on my body stands on end. I have goosebumps”
You have a special relationship with this competition.
Every time I hear those two words Ryder Cup, every hair on my body stands on end. I have goose bumps. I travel back ten years, whether it’s the opening ceremony, my first game, the locker room… This feeling of belonging to something incredible is very, very strong. Having experienced this 2012 edition which is obviously inscribed in history, I inevitably have memories that come back instantly.
What is the role of a vice-captain?
The role of a vice-captain is difficult to describe because somewhere, we don’t have to make any decisions, it’s the captain who decides everything. But we are involved in the discussions of selections, the discussions of players. That’s a lot of analysis with this selection for the Hero Cup taking place the second week of January. It’s an event that will be an opportunity to try out players, create pairs, see what the guys are capable of, how they react to a locker room, etc. But the role of vice-captain is quite complex. I can simply be asked to deliver a coffee to the 12 tee. I’m not sure the extent of my responsibilities. But in any case, one thing that is certain is that if I am asked to do anything, I will do it.
Nicolas Colaserts at the 2012 Ryder Cup (A. Redington/Getty images/AFP)
As a Belgian, do you necessarily have an eye on the performance of Thomas Detry?
Yes, he is obviously one of the players on whom the captain will keep an eye and on whom Thomas Bjorn, Edouardo Molinari and I will also keep an eye. But the list is still much longer than one might imagine. It’s true that Detry is obviously very lucky to be part of this team if he continues to play the way he has been doing for a few months. But I’m quite impressed to see, in the depth of the rankings, how far Luke Donald looks. He asks us a lot of questions about a lot of guys he doesn’t know very well. Donald has played and lived in the United States for years, so there are a lot of Europeans he doesn’t know. There is also this generation problem, with players much younger than him. I have already been asked to give my opinion on a lot of guys who are younger and who are not of his generation. But I’m already impressed to see the involvement of Luke Donald at this level and in my opinion it is not likely to stop. »
