The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Proud captain to get permanent reminder
Bjorn will have scoreline tattoo after making promise to his winning team
We got it right this week. We never, ever looked towards their team. We were about us as a team and what we do. THOMAS BJORN
Thomas Bjorn will sport a new embellishment as a result of a forfeit to his European team that won the Ryder Cup – a tattoo, featuring the 17½-10½ winning scoreline at Le Golf National.
“It’s going to be in a place where only (girlfriend) Grace can see it,” he said of the extra motivation to the team, as the ultimate European Tour man celebrated his greatest achievement.
The Dane, as long-time chairman of the policy-making tournament committee, is as invested in the European Tour as any player who has ever played on it, and as a result his captaincy was geared to leaving no stone unturned in preparation.
But, even if all his backroom work was perfect, he still knew he had to have the right players, and compiling the team was what he was most proud of.
“This has been so exciting because the way that the 12 of them have just joined up together as a team, looked after each other and been there for each other throughout the whole week,” he said. “It made captaincy pretty easy.
“There was a little moment in the middle of it all today where I was getting a little bit worried, but then everybody stood up and did their bit. You know, I can’t describe how I feel about these 12. They have been amazing from day one, and I’m just so proud of them.”
Every player contributed something, he pointed out.
“Some play five matches and some play two matches, but they all contribute,” he said.
“I’ve played in my Ryder Cups, and I don’t care how many matches I play in as long as we win and I think that’s what we all feel that way now.
“We got it right this week. We never, ever looked towards their team. We were about us as a team and what we do.
“This is the best team room I’ve ever been in. It was calm, it was determined. it was focused, it was fun. It was everything that the Ryder Cup should be about for a European Team.”
Bjorn’s biggest success might have been his most questioned decision, his four wildcards, used on four veterans at the expense of younger talent.
“Well, I’m not very good at adding up but I’m sure if I put these numbers together, they make the difference in the score,” he said, which was exactly right – his picks won 9½ points to the USA wildcards’ mere two.
“I couldn’t have dreamt of what these guys brought on the golf course.but in the team room they bring the experience, they bring the understanding.
“Sometimes when you have some great new guys coming through you’ve got to balance it out with experience.
“When you take on the captaincy, you can never dream of a score line like this. You know it’s going to be close, but you can’t dream of a score line like this.
“That’s down to all 12 players, but I’m extremely proud of those four guys that got picked, because it’s by no means easy to be picked. There’s pressure on you, and they stood up, all of them this week, and showed what they are worth.
“Sergio (Garcia) and Ian (Poulter) are the heartbeat of what we do; Henrik (Stenson) brings all the calmness, and then Paul (Casey), you know, you can only say, welcome back.”