Golf Dec 07, 2025

Ryder Cup: Team Europe vice-captain Alex Noren reveals skipper Luke Donald's instructions for special role

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Ryder Cup: Team Europe vice-captain Alex Noren reveals skipper Luke Donald's instructions for special role

After upstaging Europe's Ryder Cup stars at Wentworth, Alex Noren has revealed the responsibilities Luke Donald has tasked him with in his role as vice-captain.

Noren maintained his fine late-season form by winning the BMW PGA Championship for the second time in his career on Sunday, seeing off 11 of the 12 players that will represent Europe at the Ryder Cup in the US from 26-28 September, live on SportNews.

While Donald might have preferred to see one of his playing squad triumph, Noren's victory serves to display the strength in depth that the skipper had available when finalising his team at the start of September.

Even Noren, who also won the British Masters in August, has no qualms about missing out on a second playing appearance at the Ryder Cup having featured in Europe's 2018 victory in Paris.

The 43-year-old Swede told SportNews Golf: "I think the other guys have played better than me throughout the year. I've put in some great results now the last month, a little bit too late.

"I think the guys on the team are going to be fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the match more than anything in a long time."

Noren had little time to celebrate his Wentworth win as Team Europe set off for a scouting mission at the Bethpage Black course that will host the Ryder Cup in New York.

Noren was just two weeks ago officially named as Europe's fifth and final vice-captain after missing out on a playing pick, joining brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari, Thomas Bjorn and Jose Maria Olazabal as Donald's support team.

He explained on Sunday how his late addition will see him take up a slightly different role to the other vice-captains.

Noren said: "I think my role is an extra set of eyes for Luke. He's doing the most part, and the other vice-captains have done a lot of work.

"Knowing about a month and a half ago I was going to be a vice-captain, I asked Luke, 'what do you want out of me?' Obviously, I'm not going to coach or captain much.

"He said, 'you're going to be an extra set of eyes over a few players and be of any service they need.'

"I've only played one time but I know it's different to play Ryder Cup than anything else. I'll do whatever they ask me to do.

"I'm really happy to be part of the team because I think Bethpage will be an incredible venue for the Ryder Cup."

Former European captain and SportNews Golf pundit Paul McGinley, who is supporting Donald as a strategic advisor, provided further details of what the away side were looking to gain from this week's trip to New York.

McGinley said: "It's a reccy. We've never done this before for an away match en masse, everybody going together. All 12 players will be there.

"Luke has been planning this for nearly a year. He's got some guest speakers, he's got some ideas that the players are going to see. Everybody will obviously play the golf course too.

"And we'll do the back-of-house stuff. We'll get the tailoring done - all the stuff you would normally do in Ryder Cup week, that's going to be done in the next few days on top of playing the course.

"It's a real good bonding week. It worked very well going into Italy. It's taken a lot of effort. A lot of credit to the players, every one of them six months out said absolutely if they make the team, they'll be on the trip."

There will be extended live coverage from every day of Ryder Cup week, starting on Monday September 22, where Team Europe look to regain the trophy with a historic away win in the United States.

Round-the-clock coverage of the opening day's play will begin with live build-up from 9am on Friday September 26, ahead of full coverage from midday. Not got Sky? or

Tags:

golf news id:13431790

Share this article

Related Posts

Rory McIlroy: Masters champion defended over crucial practice rounds at Augusta ahead of successful title defence

Rory McIlroy: Masters champion defended over crucial practice rounds at Augusta ahead of successful title defence

Rory McIlroy's preparations for his successful Masters defence have come under scrutiny, but questions over the fairness of his time spent at Augusta...

The Masters: Rory McIlroy looks to Justin Rose 'blueprint' for major longevity after 'home' victory at Augusta National

The Masters: Rory McIlroy looks to Justin Rose 'blueprint' for major longevity after 'home' victory at Augusta National

Rory McIlroy has backed Justin Rose to find an elusive second major title and believes he can use his Ryder Cup teammate as a ‘blueprint’ to keep buil...

The Masters: Rory McIlroy's next major mountain? How Masters title defence at Augusta National could bring more history

The Masters: Rory McIlroy's next major mountain? How Masters title defence at Augusta National could bring more history

Rory McIlroy reassessed his major goals after completing the career Grand Slam at The Masters, with his successful title defence now providing opportu...

The Masters 2026: Hole-by-hole breakdown of Rory McIlroy's historic title defence and another major win at Augusta National

The Masters 2026: Hole-by-hole breakdown of Rory McIlroy's historic title defence and another major win at Augusta National

Rory McIlroy made more major history with a successful title defence at The Masters, with another roller-coaster Sunday required to close out victory...

The Masters: Rory McIlroy savours 'incredible' title defence after another dramatic major win at Augusta National

The Masters: Rory McIlroy savours 'incredible' title defence after another dramatic major win at Augusta National

Rory McIlroy admitted that it would have been a ‘bitter pill to swallow’ to not turn a record-breaking halfway lead at The Masters into a historic tit...

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil says competition is "funded through the season" amid reports breakaway league could fold

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil says competition is "funded through the season" amid reports breakaway league could fold

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil said the series is "funded through the season" and would "work like crazy" to keep it going amid speculation its Saudi backe...