Robert Karlsson Named As 2020 Ryder Cup Vice-Captain

Captain Padraig Harrington announced the news at the BMW PGA Championship.

Robert Karlsson Named As 2020 Ryder Cup Vice-Captain

2020 Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington has recently announced one of his vice-captains for next year's event at Whistling Straits, and it is a man familiar to the role.

Swede Robert Karlsson was a vice-captain for Thomas Bjorn's hugely successful 2018 team that demolished the Americans at Le Golf National in Paris. As a result he has once again been named as part of the European team.

An 11-time winner on the European Tour and the 2008 Order of Merit champion, Karlsson is a player with huge experience in the event first making his debut in 2006 as part of the winning team at The K Club.

Captain Harrington said of the choice; "Anybody who was involved in 2018 in the backroom staff would see this as a no-brainer pick. Robert is really good at this job. He's very logical, very straight. He doesn't let the emotions get involved. A brilliant vice captain.

"He's a little longer on the Tour than me, but since the start of the Tour, we've both had great success together. We've played Ryder Cup matches together. We've been partnered together. But ultimately, you know, he provides those two things. He provides a great sounding board, a very logical, very straight sounding board to talk to for myself for the next year because there will be other vice captains, but like in a lot of instance, you have to wait.

"Not saying anything against Robert's golf because he did perform very well the last couple of weeks there, but there's other guys who potentially could make the team that could be vice captains, but I need a vice captain now. And Robert is an icon for the northern Europeans, the Continental northern Europeans and I need access to those guys."

Karlsson said of the honour; "Yeah, it's fantastic. Pádraig asked me a little while ago, and just to get the question was fantastic. It almost feels like the other Ryder Cup just a year ago. We just finished it but now we start again. I'm really, really looking forward to this process and being able to be part of the team again, and help Pádraig along the way."

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