Stricker adds pair of Ryder Cup assistants
As the golf calendar has shuffled over the last few months due to the coronavirus pandemic, and with some question remaining as to how the 2020 Ryder Cup rosters are determined without a full season of points accumulation, United States captain Steve Stricker has enlisted the help of two longtime friends to assist him.
On Monday, Stricker announced he had chosen Davis Love III and Zach Johnson as vice captains for his U.S. team that is scheduled to play Europe on Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits.
The pair join Jim Furyk as vice captains.
In a statement released by the PGA of America, Stricker said “it’s important to surround yourself with quality individuals who you can lean on and who have the best interests of the team in mind. Jim and I have talked about this a lot in the last year and now we are happy to add two Ryder Cup veterans in Zach and Davis to the conversation with the goal of putting this team in a prime position to win.
“Both Zach and Davis share a passion to compete at the highest level and are strong communicators, which is important, especially when we’re in the heat of competition.”
The quartet has a lot of Ryder Cup experience together, as Stricker, Furyk and Johnson all played for Love and the 2012 U.S. team at Medinah Country Club in Illinois. Love captained the victorious 2016 U.S. team again at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota where Stricker and Furyk served as his vice captains.
Furyk captained the 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup team in Paris, and Johnson was one of his vice captains.
Stricker will announce one more vice captain before the tournament.