Francesco Molinari joins his brother Edoardo as Europe’s Ryder Cup vice-captain for the 5th team

Francesco Molinari is officially joining the European Ryder Cup team along with his brother Edoardo.

Molinari made his Ryder Cup debut back in 2010. He was the first European player to win a maximum of five points from five matches when the European side won back in 2018 in Paris. He'll join his brother as a captain.

Molinari said via Sky Sports:

"I am very proud to be part of Luke's team. I started the year hoping to be there as a player, but it is still a great honour to be there as a vice captain. I got a phone call from Luke asking if I was interested and obviously it was a clear answer from me. He is assembling a really good team of people."

Francesco added that he is close with a lot of his new companions. They've been on the world stage together and he believes that that will be crucial when the Ryder Cup arrives. They'll be able to make decisions together for the betterment of their team because of it.

Francesco added:

"The coolest moment I have had in the Ryder Cup was making my debut alongside Edoardo in Wales and experiencing for the first time what it meant to be part of the European Team. It is super special to be there with him again in Rome."

He concluded:

"It is a proud moment any time you get to put on the shirt with the European badge on it. It's a Ryder Cup which is particularly close to my heart being played in Rome so I will do whatever I can to help Luke and the team and hopefully bring the trophy back to Europe."

Francesco Molinari will be a key figure up Luke Donald's sleeve when the Europeans, led by Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Viktor Hovland, take on the Americans in Italy.

---

Why Luke Donald chose Francesco Molinari

Choosing the vice captains is almost as important as choosing the golfers for the Ryder Cup. Luke Donald knows that, and that's why he takes the decisions so seriously.

Francesco Molinari is back on the Ryder Cup

He revealed why he chose Francesco Molinari:

"I chose Francesco because he has a lot of experience in Ryder Cups and he is a Major winner. He has a tremendous individual career, but he is also Italian. I wanted him there no matter what, whether it was playing or as a vice captain."

He added:

"With his brother there too, I think it is going to be pretty special, having both Edoardo and Francesco on my team representing Team Europe but also representing Italy."

The locale for the event matters, too. On European soil, it is vital to have a home advantage. That's another reason why Molinari, an Italian himself, was the easy pick:

"Francesco is a hero in Italy. He has so much respect from the Italians for what he has done for the game of golf. Certainly that respect is also there from me too and I couldn't be happier to round out my vice captains with him."

Francesco Molinari will hope to be able to make a big impact on the team.