“We've got a great backbone of the team” - Thomas Bjørn excited over Shane Lowry and 'generational talent' Ludvig Aberg’s Ryder Cup pick
Thomas Bjørn is ‘delighted’ for Shane Lowry’s Ryder Cup pick. The European vice-captain backed skipper Luke Donald’s pick of the Irishman and said that he adds to a “great backbone of the team.” Bjørn also lauded wildcard Ludvig Aberg’s Ryder Cup pick as well.
Donald on Tuesday announced his captain’s picks and he named Lowry and Aberg over the likes of Adrian Meronk and several other veterans. The European skipper also picked young Dane Nicolai Højgaard for his squad. Following this, Bjørn came out to note that he was excited for the team. He dubbed Aberg a “generational talent” and Lowry a “huge part” of the team.
Commenting on Donald’s Ryder Cup picks ahead of this week's Horizon Irish Open at The K Club, Bjørn said, as quoted by the Irish Examiner:
"We've got a great backbone of the team, and I am delighted to see that Shane (Lowry) is there. He's such a huge part of what we are as a team. He gets the Ryder Cup, but he also gets the team environment. He will make people around him better."
Opening up about rookies Ludvig Aberg and Nicolai Højgaard traveling to Rome, he added:
"European golf's got some real young, promising you'd argue generational talent coming through, and Luke put some faith in those. But I think it's easy to put the faith in when you see how quick Jon (Rahm) took to it, Viktor Hovland, how quick that progress has gone.
So, there's a lot of guys in that team that's gone from the same path as Ludwig and Nicolai are going through. I think they'll understand each other, and that makes them a great team. And I think they'll feel very comfortable in that environment."
Bjørn's comments come as Donald’s wild cards started several discussions. However, the 52-year-old Dane stepped forward to note that he and the rest of the vice-captains weren’t paying attention to the noise. He said that the captains will “concentrate on the 12 that are there” and “let other people concentrate on what could have been.”
2023 European Ryder Cup Team
For the unversed, the final European team for the Ryder Cup 2023 was announced on Tuesday. Team skipper Luke Donald made his final six picks - Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Ludwig Aberg and Nicolai Højgaard.
The newly announced captain’s picks joined the likes of Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre, who’d confirmed their positions earlier by automatic qualification.
The 2023 edition of the Ryder Cup is set to tee off on September 29 in Rome, Italy. With both the US and European teams looking promising, it’ll be interesting to see which side comes out on top on October 1.