“When Donald asked me to fill this important position, I felt incredible joy. Every time I hear the word Ryder Cup, my memories go back to 2012 and the pride I felt for being part of a unique event played in defense of the European colors “
These are the first statements by Nicolas Colsaerts as third vice-captain of the Europe team at the Ryder Cup 2023 in Rome.
Nicolas Colsaerts, statements
“The role of deputy captain – added the Belgian – is different from that of the player, but the goal remains the same: to provide the best possible contribution to the team.
We already have two fantastic vice captains like Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari, with whom we have however, a special bond. From a very young age, when you start playing sports, the first thing you are told and taught is that the important thing is to participate.
It’s all very true, just as it is true that when you wear European colors and you play a Ryder Cup, all you want to do is win. And this is what we will try to do in Rome “, the charge of Colsaerts. That he has a good feeling with Italy and with the Italian Open where he has touched the company twice, finishing third in 2010 (in Piedmont) and second in 2020 (in Lombardy).
From the nightmare of last January, when he was hospitalized because he suffered from primary membranous nephropathy – chronic inflammatory disease of the glomeruli accompanied by a progressive deterioration of renal function – to the Ryder Cup dream 2023.
This is the parable of Colsaerts, one of the team’s vice-captains Europe at the next Ryder. He became a professional in 2000, at just 18, and joined the European Tour. The turning point was 2009: he lost the Irish Open in the playoffs and, in the same year, won his first two tournaments (both in the Netherlands).
. In 2010 he comes third at the Italian Open. In 2011 he won his first European Tour tournament: the Volvo China Open. In the same year, he loses in the semifinals of the Volvo World Match Play Championship to Ian Poulter. The following year, however, he managed to make up for it, winning the tournament in the final against Graeme McDowell.He participated for the first time in the US Open in 2012, overcoming the cut and qualifying for 27th place.
On 27 August 2012 he was called up by captain José María Olazábal as a wildcard [3] for his first Ryder Cup in Medinah. During his debut match on September 28 paired with Lee Westwood he closed his round with 8 birdies and 1 eagle (-10 of the day) by winning against Tiger Woods and Steve Striker.
This result, defined by many as “the best result ever achieved by a rookie on his debut day at the Ryder Cup” [4] allowed Europe to win the only point of the afternoon session.
