Sweden’s Henrik Stenson will lead Europe’s attempt to regain the Ryder Cup against the United States at Marco Simone in Rome in 2023.
The 45-year-old was a vice-captain to Padraig Harrington last September when Europe lost by a record 19-9 margin.
The 2016 Open champion played in five Ryder Cups, winning three times.
The 44th Ryder Cup will be held at the Italian course, which has been completely redeveloped for the biennial event, from 29 September to 1 October.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be the European Ryder Cup captain – it is a huge honour and I was humbled to get the call confirming the news,” Stenson said.
“I will do everything in my power and leave no stone unturned in the quest to get the Ryder Cup back in European hands.”
Stenson, who won 11 points from 19 Ryder Cup matches following his debut in 2006 when he holed the winning putt, becomes the first Swede to captain Europe in the event.
England’s Luke Donald, 44, Stenson’s fellow Swede Robert Karlsson, 52, and Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, 53, were thought to be the others in the running for the role.
Stenson was also the first Swede to win a men’s Major when he defeated Phil Mickelson in an epic final day at Royal Troon in 2016.
“The Ryder Cup is golf, and sport, at its very best. I got goosebumps every time I pulled on a European shirt as a player and that will be magnified in the role of captain,” Stenson added.
“When I started out as a professional golfer, it was beyond my wildest dreams that, one day, I would follow in the footsteps of legends of the game such as Seve [Ballesteros] and be European Ryder Cup captain.
“But today proves that, sometimes, dreams do come true.”
Europe have not lost at home since the US won 15-13 at The Belfry in 1993 but Stenson will face a star-studded US team under the leadership of Zach Johnson next year.
The US have six of the world’s top 10 and 11 of the top 20 – and that does not even include four-time Major champion Brooks Koepka, who is 21st, and one of the rampant 2021 team, Tony Finau.
Stenson in contrast is likely to have to oversee at least a partial changing of the guard in his team, with the feeling that English stalwarts Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter as well as Spanish icon Sergio Garcia may have played their last match in the thrashing at Whistling Straits.
Westwood, 48, was favourite to land the captaincy before ruling himself out in order to focus on his own game and try to qualify for what would be a record-equalling 12th appearance – drawing him level with American Mickelson.
European Ryder Cup director Guy Kinnings believes Stenson has the ideal credentials for the role.
“Henrik has all the qualities to be a great captain,” he said.
“He has an incredibly impressive golfing CV as a major champion, two-time European number one and FedEx Cup winner, and in the Ryder Cup he played five times and played with distinction, including holing the winning putt in 2006 at the K Club.
“So he comes with all the credibility of what he has achieved, and as we all know a dry a sense of humour and a fantastic warm personality, but he is also a ferocious competitor.”
