Harrington relishing role
Padraig Harrington admitted that the added pressure of being named as vice-captain of Europe’s Ryder Cup team this year’s Ryder Cup would give him an indication whether he would be able to lead the team in the future.
Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez were on Wednesday named as Paul McGinley’s final three assistants.
They will join Des Smyth and Sam Torrance on the backroom staff for Gleneagles.
Olazabal was captain for the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012 but Harrington and Jimenez are both candidates to fulfil the role in years to come, along with the likes of Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn.
Asked if he would be interested in becoming captain, Harrington told Sky Sports News: “Absolutely I’d be interested and part of being a vice-captain is really finding out whether you are suitable to do it.
“It’s a different job being the captain than a player. Being a player is quite a selfish thing, it’s all about you. The captaincy, man-managing 12 people, being able to get on with all of those people and being able to organise things, its a different sort of scenario.
“My record might say yeah, I look like being a future captain, but to be honest being a vice-captain and getting in behind the scenes will tell me a lot more and tell the people in the know a lot more whether I am possibly the right man to do the job.”
Olazabal, Harrington and Jimenez have 17 Ryder Cup appearances between them, while Jimenez was vice-captain to Seve Ballesteros in 1997 and Olazabal two years ago. The 50-year-old was also picked by McGinley to captain the European team in the inaugural EurAsia Cup in March.
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