United States Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker on Monday named Zach Johnson and Davis Love III as vice captains for the 2020 event, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis.
Johnson and Love, who was the winning 2016 Ryder Cup captain, join Jim Furyk as vice captains. After he was named captain in February, Stricker, a Wisconsin native, quickly named Furyk, who captained the 2018 Ryder Cup team that lost to Europe in France. Stricker is expected to name additional vice captains at a later date.
“With the Ryder Cup, it’s important to surround yourself with quality individuals who you can lean on and who have the best interests of the team in mind,” Stricker said. “Jim and I have talked about this a lot in the last year and now we are happy to add two Ryder Cup veterans in Zach and Davis to the conversation with the goal of putting this team in a prime position to win.
“Both Zach and Davis share a passion to compete at the highest level and are strong communicators, which is important, especially when we’re in the heat of competition.”
Love is a two-time captain, having led the U.S. to a 17-11 victory at Hazeltine National Golf Club in the most recent Ryder Cup on American soil in 2016. He, too, captained the 2012 side that lost to the Europeans at Medinah, outside of the Chicago.
Love, 56, also played in six Ryder Cups (1993, ’95, ’97, ’99, 2002, ’04) and served as vice captain in 2010 and ’18. He has 21 career PGA Tour victories, including the 1997 PGA Championship at Winged Foot.
“Steve has been such a consistent presence on this team, both as a player and as a vice captain, and now it’s his time to lead.” Love said. “He has a terrific vision for what he wants our U.S. team to not only accomplish, but represent, all year long. I’m confident in the program he has in place and am anxious to get to work.”
This will be Johnson’s second time as a vice captain, having served in 2018 in France. Johnson, 44, played in five Ryder Cups — 2006, ’10, ’12, ’14 and ’16. He has 12 career PGA Tour victories as well as four appearances in the Presidents Cup.
“It’s always an honor to be part of the U.S. Ryder Cup team,” said Johnson. “In a domestic Ryder Cup, it’s important to defend ‘our turf,’ and to do so on behalf of Steve — in his home state at Whistling Straits — is a great opportunity for our team to make a statement.”