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THOMAS BJORN stood outside the Augusta National clubhouse last week looking like he didn’t have a care in the world.

He relaxed in the sunshine, chatting to the movers and shakers of golf as he soaked up the atmosphere of the Masters.

Bjorn was in Augusta to fulfil his media commitments but also to keep tabs on the progress of those who are expected to feature in his side for the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris.

And it was the latter that might explain why he seemed so at ease, despite the mammoth challenge looming.

Being Ryder Cup captain is one of the most privileged roles in sport.

But in the past it has sent some of those to hold the position slightly mad, most recently Darren Clarke.

Ploughed

Clarke turned out to be the wrong choice to lead Europe into battle at Hazeltine last September.

He didn’t admit it, but the role consumed him from the moment he was announced as captain 18 months beforehand.

He didn’t sleep. He ploughed through the cigarettes to soothe his nerves and when he didn’t want to smoke on the course in front of the watching world, he even took an E-cigarette out with him in his pocket.

Clarke made mistakes. His muddled thinking, coupled with the fact he had six rookies, saw him send out the wrong pairings and make too many changes.

He was also guilty of showing too much loyalty to Lee Westwood and it came back to haunt him when his old mate performed like a drain.

Clarke surrounded himself with more lieutenants than George Washington and the Duke of Wellington put together.

It all turned into a bit of a mess, which was witnessed by Bjorn in his capacity as one of Clarke’s vice-captains. And that could be the most positive thing to come out of a week of mayhem in Minneapolis.

It might turn out that Clarke laid the foundations for Europe to go on and beat America when they clash again. His time at the helm may not have been in vain.

Clarke basically provided Bjorn with a blueprint of what not to do and European fans will be hoping the Great Dane pins it to his office wall.

But there is something different about Bjorn. He is laid back, unruffled and exudes calmness.

Perhaps this comes from the fact he might assemble the strongest European side in history when heading to France.

He will have watched with huge pride how stalwarts Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose wiped the floor with the Americans to turn the Masters into a private duel, with the Spaniard coming out on top to win a Major at last.

Rory McIlroy finished in the top 10, while new sensation Thomas Pieters produced under pressure to secure a tied-fourth finish. Paul Casey finished one shot back and Bjorn needs to find a way to get him into the team.

Elsewhere, Jon Rahm flitted in and out of the red numbers to provide more evidence he is the next big thing, while Ross Fisher, Matt Fitzpatrick, Andy Sullivan and Martin Kaymer made the cut.

All this talent, combined with Bjorn’s clear thinking, could prove a lethal combination.

Unlike Clarke, Bjorn has stopped smoking and has no intentions of starting again because his one addiction appears to be engineering a master plan to win.

European golf looks like being in safe hands.