Zach Johnson officially named US Ryder Cup captain

TWO-TIME major winner Zach Johnson was named the 2023 United States Ryder Cup captain on Monday.

Johnson, 46, competed in five Ryder Cups and served as a vice-captain for the US squad for the last two.

He is the 30th US captain since the 1927 inception of the biennial competition against Team Europe.

The 2023 Ryder Cup takes place from Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2023, at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome.

“I am confident that Zach’s appointment will be wildly popular with the players as well as throughout American golf circles,” PGA of America president Jim Richerson said. “But more than that, Zach is the caliber of individual that the PGA of America wants representing the United States and our 28,000-plus PGA Professionals on the global stage. He has performed on the biggest stages as a player, a teammate and as a Vice-Captain. He checks every conceivable leadership box and we anticipate that the US Team in Italy will reflect the hard work, grit and selfless determination that have long defined his stellar playing career.”

Johnson, winner of the Masters in 2007 and The Open Championship in 2015, compiled a 8-7-2 overall record in Ryder Cup competition with championships as a player in 2016 and as a vice-captain in 2020.

“To accept this Captaincy, to lead this United States Ryder Cup Team abroad — after what we accomplished last year at Whistling Straits — is simply the greatest honor of my professional career,” Johnson said. “I want to thank the PGA of America Ryder Cup Committee for this special opportunity. As exciting as this is for both my family and me, it is equally sobering to understand the scope of our challenge in Rome, as we have not won on the road in three decades. To win, we will have to outplay a European Team that will have both ample talent and motivation on their side. I am anxious to dig in and begin the process of putting our team in the best possible position to succeed.”

In his first appointment as Ryder Cup captain, Johnson named Steve Stricker as a vice-captain. Stricker served as the captain for the 2020 Ryder Cup, which the US won, 19-9. Stricker previously served as a vice captain three times.

Team Europe has yet to announce its captain. — Reuters