St Andrews Magazine Edition 04

“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
team spirit, to help
players performing in
the most mentally
intimidating arena in
their sport feel
comfortable and
relaxed, ready for
action.
Everything in his control
– from the style of the
uniforms through the
standard of the
accommodation to the
speech made at the
ceremonial dinner the
night before the
competition begins –
can make a difference.
“I think that confidence
is everything in this
game,” Bjørn says. And
ensuring his team’s selfassurance
is not
compromised will be at
the heart of his
approach.
“The younger players
sometimes need
guidance, and I’m not
afraid to tell them that
they might be making
some strange
decisions.
In my experience the
best thing to do is have
a quiet conversation
with them and point
out a potentially
different choice they
might make.”