Passion and pride Olly’s buzzwords

Paul Azinger wrote a book on how he won the Ryder Cup for America four years ago and our screens have been full of former captains pouring forth on how they did it but for all the talk, nothing can quite prepare José Maria Olazabal and Davis Love III for what is about to unfold.

Both may be born to lead their respective teams but for all their past achievements in the game, Europe and the USA’s captains at Medinah Country Club are taking a giant leap into the unknown this weekend.

That is not to say they lack experience, and very specific experience in terms of numbers of their combined 13 Ryder Cup appearances, but suddenly the buck stops with them. So what will they be like when the pressure accumulates on their shoulders and what makes a good captain? Accepting that you’re not going to get everything right is half the battle says Ryder Cup veteran Lee Westwood.