Luke Donald has added more experience to bolster his team room ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup.
He announced Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts as the European team’s third vice captain on Tuesday, joining Thomas Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari.
“My first reaction when Luke asked me was sheer joy,” Colsaerts said. “Every time I hear the words ‘Ryder Cup,’ it takes me back to the edition I played in, how proud I was to wear the European colors and be part of such an unbelievable event. Of course, Luke was in that team, too, and when we spoke he mentioned how much he has always loved what the Ryder Cup means to me.
“Being a vice captain is a different role to being a player but, nevertheless, my mission in 2023 will be exactly the same as it was in 2012, namely, to make a contribution to the team in any way I can.”
During that 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah, Colsaerts went 1-3-0, his lone win coming in four-ball. He and partner Lee Westwood had eight birdies and an eagle throughout the round and beat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker on the final hole.
Colsaerts has won three times on the DP World Tour, his latest being the 2019 Open de France. He has played in 436 DP World Tour events.
“Nico has been on my mind for a couple of months now, to be honest,” Donald said. “I played in the team with him in 2012, and you could just see how much it meant to him. He understands what it means to represent the European crest and what it means to be part of the Ryder Cup set-up. When I asked him, he literally had goosebumps – so I am very happy to have him as my third vice captain.”
The 2023 Ryder Cup will be contested at Marco Simone in Rome, Italy, from Sept. 26-Oct. 1, 2023.
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