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The Ryder Cup is the most prestigious team competition in golf. The biennial event will see 24 players from the US and Europe compete against each other. Interestingly, the two teams will be usually led by captains who won’t be playing but instead lead from outside the greens.
The Ryder Cup captains are usually announced over a year before the main event, solely to set up and lead the team. They don’t usually join the playing side as they get busy organizing the group.
It's also noteworthy that most captains don’t even automatically qualify for the team and are not likely to pick themselves as a captain’s pick.
Can Ryder Cup captains play themselves?
According to the rulebook, Ryder Cup captains can play with the team. The player assuming the captain's role can pitch themselves against an opponent, assuming that they automatically qualifiy for the team. However, this is very unlikely in the modern day.
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In fact, Arnold Palmer in 1963 was the last captain to play in the Ryder Cup. The golfer assumed both roles and led his US side to the win.
His team beat Great Britain (now Europe) 23-9 at the Atlanta Athletic Club (now East Lake Golf Club) in Atlanta, Georgia. Ryder Cup captains have since stuck to their roles of selecting the squad and managing them.
As mentioned above, the captains don’t get much playing time on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour to make it to the squads themselves.
What do the Ryder Cup captains do?
Current-day captains like Zach Johnson and Luke Donald will be busy on the backend, months ahead of the Ryder Cup tee-off. Their primary role is to select the team. Their job is to bring together the best squad possible as they look to win the event.
Once a team of 12 is decided, the captain will have to choose the players and their pairings for the foursome games. Later, they also have to back the players, including the rookies.
Modern-day captains’ most significant job is to take the pressure off the players and maintain a healthy environment for them to shine on the course.
The captaincy team, including the captain and vice-captains, will also have to scout the course well in advance. It's their duty to study the course and analyze it to their team’s advantage.
The Ryder Cup captains won’t be playing this week at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, as they will be busy in their respective dressing room.
