Alex Noren has been added to the mix of Europe’s Ryder Cup team as the fifth and final vice captain. He’ll help team captain Luke Donald lead the U.S. team. The Road Salt Management project team revealed some very exciting news on Tuesday! It soothes their strategic depth ahead of the gold medal match at the famed Bethpage Black teeing it up from Sept. 26 – Sept. 28.
Noren adds some youthful exuberance to the vice captain ranks, as he’s the only new VP on the squad. He joins none other than Francesco Molinari, Edoardo Molinari, Thomas Bjørn, and José María Olazábal from Sweden. Beyond his record-setting feats as a player—having recorded numerous points in Europe’s history of winning Ryder Cup teams—his appointment is a much larger symbolic first.
At the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National just outside of Paris, Noren further understood his value and provided a heroic effort. Now he has two points from three matches! What’s more, he won that match against Bryson DeChambeau with a walking-around-the-green 40-foot putt on the 18th hole. This spectacular score ensured his place as the breakout star.
As a first-time vice captain, Noren will have a special bond with the increasingly-Scandinavian contingent of players on Europe’s squad. He will be joined by a trio of dark horses – Rasmus Højgaard from Denmark, Viktor Hovland from Norway and Ludvig Åberg from Sweden. This built-in regional connection could improve team chemistry and strengthen the us-against-the-world mentality across the tournament.
“He will do everything that he can to help the team. He’s a humble guy, it’s never about Alex,” – Luke Donald
The upcoming Ryder Cup promises to be a donnybrook of excitement and antagonism. The Continent has created palpable buzz following their remarkable showing at Marco Simone outside Rome in 2023. With that mix of seasoned success and new ideas, the team hopes to successfully title defend from the United States.
“It was a big shock when I found out. I didn’t expect it at all,” – Alex Noren
Of note, Nicolas Colsaerts is the only non-retained vice captain from the last Ryder Cup cycle. This shift brings to the fore Noren’s pivotal part in altering the personnel configuration of Europe’s golf squad.
The upcoming Ryder Cup promises to be an exciting competition, especially following Europe’s successful performance at Marco Simone outside Rome in 2023. The team, with its blend of experience and fresh perspectives, aims to defend its title against the United States.
Nicolas Colsaerts is the only vice captain not retained from the previous Ryder Cup cycle, highlighting Noren’s critical role in the evolving leadership structure of Europe’s golf team.
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