He rejoins Thomas Bjørn and Edoardo Molinari in Luke Donald’s backroom team
Returns to the Vice Captain role for a fifth time
Spaniard was the last Captain to lead Team Europe to victory on US soil in 2012
European Captain Luke Donald has named José María Olazábal as his third Vice Captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup which will be played at Bethpage Black in New York from September 26-28, 2025.
Olazábal returns to the role having also been one of Donald’s five Vice Captains in 2023 when Team Europe defeated the United States 16½ – 11½ at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Italy.
The 59-year-old Spaniard was the last Captain to lead Team Europe to victory on US soil, overseeing the most famous European comeback victory of all time at Medinah in 2012.
As a player, he represented Europe in the Ryder Cup on seven occasions from 1987 to 2006, forming the most iconic partnership in the history of the biennial contest with his compatriot Seve Ballesteros.
This year’s Ryder Cup will be the fifth time Olazábal has been a Vice Captain after previously performing the role in 2008, 2010 and 2014, as well as in Rome two years ago. He rejoins Denmark’s Thomas Bjørn and Italian Edoardo Molinari in Donald’s backroom team.
Olazábal said: “It is wonderful news. When Luke approached me and asked me about the possibility of being a Vice Captain again, I have to be honest, I thought about it for a while because, you know, being in New York, it’s not going to be easy. But the Ryder Cup is very close to my heart. I have wonderful memories about this event so I said yes.
“I think Luke did a wonderful job in Rome and I believe he will do a very good job this time round too. He took care of absolutely all the details: players, caddies, families. It was wonderful to see some of the lines he came up with and the images from past champions. It was great also to see him working the way he did during the week, being so close to the players. It was fantastic to be part of that Ryder Cup team.
“It’s really hard to win away from home in the United States. In New York, we know the crowds are going to be very loud and the golf course will be set up in favour of the US team – we’ll have to handle that, too. I think there is not any bigger challenge for a golfer than facing a Ryder Cup away from home and we have to be mentally prepared for that.”
Captain Donald said: “I am delighted to welcome José María back to the Vice Captain role. He is synonymous with European golf and the Ryder Cup and everything it represents. So to have him back as part of my backroom team is incredibly positive for us.
“He bleeds blue and gold like nobody else. His passion for the Ryder Cup is second to none. He is just an inspiration to so many players, which made such a difference in Rome.
“It’s also extremely important for us to know we have the last Captain to have won on foreign soil on our side. I was part of that team as a player and got to witness his never-give-up attitude and the inspiration he drew from Seve that week. There might be some tough times in New York when we all need that experience, that passion and that mentality.”
Olazábal played 31 matches across his seven Ryder Cup appearances as a player, winning 18 of them and returning 20½ points in total for Team Europe. His partnership with the late, great Seve Ballesteros is the most successful in Ryder Cup history, the Spanish duo contributing 12 points from their 15 outings together.
Individually, Olazábal has won 33 professional tournaments worldwide in a glittering career, including 23 victories on the European Tour from 1986 to 2005.
He is a two-time winner of the Masters Tournament, having claimed the Green Jacket at Augusta National in 1994 and 1999, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009.
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