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