2018 Eurasia Cup a platform for Thomas Bjorn to test captaincy

SHAH ALAM: The upcoming 2018 EurAsia Cup on Jan 12-14 will be a platform for Thomas Bjorn to prepare himself as the team captain for the Ryder Cup.

The 46-year-old Bjorn has been selected as the Team Europe captain for the EurAsia Cup and the Ryder Cup, which will be held in Paris, on Sept 28-30.

“Anytime you get this bestowed on you, you have to be grateful that players want you as captain and there’s a Tour that believes that you can be captain. It is a moment of reflection on your own career.

“You got to realise that your golf might not be as good anymore. On the other hand it is also a sign that you have put in a lot of time in your career and in the Tour.

“I’m honoured and pleased to be in this situation where I can do this and it is something that I’m really looking forward to. I feel that I can get across to the senior and to the new players. I have a lot of good relationship that I feel that I can do a good captaincy that the players want,” said Bjorn in a press conference at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club, here yesterday.

On his plans for the EurAsia Cup, Bjorn said that success depends on team work and the performance of the players.

“For me it is very much depending on the team that lines up. My job is to put a strategy in place with the players I have. I only know a few of them so far and I’m having conversations with them.

“For a lot of European golfers, it is difficult because the EurAsia Cup will be their first tournament of the year. They will come out from their winter training and it is for me to keep them in check and come out to perform to their highest level,” said Bjorn.

The Danish-born player has been synonymous with the golf course at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club as he has played in the first-ever EurAsia Cup in 2014.

“The field here is not the longest in the world but has a different level of difficulty and of course it will create a great atmosphere for players and try to create a birdie,” said the Dane.

Before spending time with the media in the question-and-answer session, Bjorn earlier spent his time meeting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at his office.

The third staging of the biennial tournament, which has been hosted at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in 2014 and 2016, will see the 12-man teams contest six fourball matches on Friday and six foursome matches on Saturday, before 12 singles matches determine the winning team on Sunday. - Bernama