Justin Rose backs Padraig Harrington to be Europe’s next Ryder Cup captain in 2020
The FedEx Cup champion is the latest big name to back the Irishman to the side Europe at Whistling Straits
JUSTIN ROSE became the latest big name to back Padraig Harrington as Europe’s next Ryder Cup captain.
And Rose says he is trying to work out Europe’s next TEN captains, because it will be difficult to find room for the host of star candidates over the next couple of decades.
Rose, 38, who hosts the Sky Sports British Masters which starts tomorrow at Surrey’s Walton Heath, is certain to get the nod after playing on five Ryder Cup teams, three of them as a winner.
The last five European captains have all been under 50 — Sir Nick Faldo got the job at 51 in 2008, when he was clearly out of touch with the players he was leading.
Since then it has become an unwritten rule all captains should still be playing on the European Tour.
Triple Major king Harrington, 47, ticks all the boxes — but only if he is appointed as captain for Whistling Straits in two years’ time.
At 45, Lee Westwood will be the ideal age to succeed Harrington when it returns to Europe, in Italy in 2022.
Rose said: “Padraig, for me, would be the front-runner for 2020. I would say as a three-time Major champion, and clearly a European legend, he is the favourite but you’ve also got Lee Westwood.
“It’s interesting when you try to project out who the possible captains are for the next ten Ryder Cups.
“But if Padraig doesn’t do it this time then I’m not sure — you have got to start fitting guys in.”
Most read in sport
Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood will renew their bromance at Walton Heath.
‘Moliwood’, have been drawn in the same group for the first two rounds, along with another Paris hero, Thorbjorn Olesen.
Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson has tried to heal the rift with USA side-kick Brooks Koepka, who was yesterday named the US Tour’s player of the year after winning the US Open and the USPGA.
Koepka, 28, infamously had a spat with gym buddy Johnson at the Ryder Cup.
But the world No 1 tweeted: “Congratulatons @bkoepka. Great season bro. POY . . . well deserved.”