Thomas Bjorn to name strongest side available for 2018 Ryder Cup
Tuesday 17 October 2017 16:13, UK
Thomas Bjorn has confirmed he won’t be taking nationality into consideration when picking his European Ryder Cup side next autumn.
Bjorn captains the hosts at Le Golf National, where the French crowds will be hoping for some home interest in the European team.
Romain Wattel is currently inside the automatic qualification lists after his KLM Open victory and Alex Levy is also a winner on the European Tour this season, while Victor Dubuisson featured alongside Bjorn in Europe's winning side in 2014.
"I have one job and that is to deliver the 12 best players in Europe," Bjorn said in a Ryder Cup press conference on Tuesday. "Wherever they are from, that for me is not of great concern.
"Obviously me being Danish, I would love to see a Danish player on the team and being played in France, I would love to see a French player on the team.
"I also have a greater respect to the team. I believe we are up against a very strong side and we should preferably have the 12 best players in the team to have a chance of winning."
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Bjorn experienced his first Ryder Cup defeat at Hazeltine after three wins as a player and three as a vice-captain, with the 46-year-old promising to do "everything in his power" to help regain the trophy for Europe.
The Dane has named Sweden's Robert Karlsson earlier in the summer as his first vice-captain, although has no timescale on when further appointments will be made.
"I'm at a moment in time where I don't feel any urgency to announce anybody else," Bjorn added. "Things are progressing well for me, and when I feel I'm ready to announce another vice-captain, I will.
"I feel that the vice captains are very important to the team and it's also very much a team decision; talking to players and seeing what they feel about which people they would like to have around them."
