Harrington backs Bjorn appointment

Padraig Harrington is in no doubt that Thomas Bjorn is the right man to captain Europe at the 2018 Ryder Cup in France.

Bjorn was the unanimous choice of the five-man selection committee to succeed Darren Clarke as European captain for the battle with the United States in Paris in two years' time.

The Dane played on three winning teams and has served as vice-captain on four occasions, including the defeat to Davis Love III's squad earlier this year, and Harrington, who was also one of Clarke's vice-captains at Hazeltine, believes he has the pedigree to lead Europe to victory.

"I've got to say I was impressed with him as a vice-captain. I can only be impressed from what I know, but what he's said and done during the vice-captaincy, I couldn't have disagreed with it," Harrington is quoted as saying in the Irish Independent.

"I thought it was all spot on, all his opinions, his thought process.

"At the end of it, myself and Thomas did talk about future Ryder Cup competitions and how you would approach things and again everything he said made a lot of sense," said Harrington.

"He's been a vice-captain three times. He seems to have paid attention and learned his stuff and been right on the ball. I was suitably impressed."

Harrington had been linked with the position but he quickly ruled himself out of the running in order to focus on making the team as a player.

With Lee Westwood keen on skippering Europe in 2020 Harrington runs the risk of missing out on the captaincy but he is prepared to take the risk if it means he can concentrate on his game.

"There was a lot of consideration about whether I'd put my name in the hat. It doesn't mean I would have got it over Thomas," the Dubliner said.

"Thomas has served his time in the Ryder Cup, he's served his time as a vice-captain, chairman of the board, and he's been a very good player over the years. My own attitude about playing, as I've said before, is I ain't getting these years back. I feel like I can be competitive."

"Obviously I think the idea would be to see how I get on these next two years. I know Lee Westwood has put his hat in the ring for 2020 at Whistling Straits. I wouldn't want to be putting it out any longer than 2020-2022. The longer you leave it, the bigger the queue."

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