Steve Stricker was officially announced Wednesday morning as the 2020 United States Ryder Cup captain for the biennial matches at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin next fall.
Stricker, a Wisconsin native, was the odds-on favorite to be handed the task of earning the U.S. only its third victory of this century.
“Truly, a dream come true,” Stricker said at his introductory press conference. “I’m really humbled by this.”
Despite being a 12-time PGA Tour winner, Stricker becomes the first American captain to be appointed to the position without having won a major championship. Having played on three Ryder Cup squads, including the victorious U.S. side in 2008, Stricker has been a mainstay in international competition team rooms for the past decade.
“Steve Stricker’s career has long established a place of prominence in American golf,” PGA of America President Suzy Whaley said on Wednesday. “Yet, he’s as relevant as ever — as evidenced by three wins last year on the PGA Tour Champions — and he has a wonderful ability to connect with players of all ages. Steve’s vision for his Captaincy is laser-focused and we are elated to have this hometown favorite as our U.S. Ryder Cup Captain for 2020 at Whistling Straits.”
Stricker is already making some significant changes to the U.S. team. He announced that he will be going back to a one-time, four-person captains picks format, which will take place two days after the conclusion of the Tour Championship.
Players begin earning points to make the 2020 team this week at the WGC-Mexico Championship. WGCs, The Players Championship and the major championships count at a reduced rate towards player totals.
Finally, Stricker also announced that 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk would serve as a vice-captain in 2020. The matches will take place Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits.
