The Gentleman Magazine Issue 10 | August 2018 | Page 54

ROLEX TESTIMONEE: MATTHEW FITZPATRICK Bjørn’s analysis is shrewd. While the position may share some of the requirements of being at the helm of a racing yacht in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, taking the captaincy at The Ryder Cup is a role unique in world sport. Unlike a coach in a team sport who will tell a player whether he wants him to pass short or long, where to run and even where to position himself on the field of play, it would be a rash Ryder Cup captain who tried to tell those under his charge how to address the ball and play each stroke. Each member of the 12-man team will arrive in Paris with a tried and tested system in place of what works for his game. “These golfers play for themselves all of the time, so you don’t have to instruct them in how to play the course,” says Bjørn. The true task of the Ryder Cup captain is to foster and develop