Darren Clarke has added three players with a wealth of experience on and off the course to assist him in this year's Ryder Cup, and Nick Dougherty has been assessing the qualities of each of them and how they will help at Hazeltine.
Obviously Darren wants his assistant captains to have plenty of Ryder Cup experience as well as the "gritty character" and attitude you need to be part of a successful Ryder Cup team, and that's why his three choices make perfect sense.
Padraig Harrington has played a lot of golf in America, and he knows what it takes to be successful out there. He's also played Ryder Cups in the US, which I think is a big deal. Padraig is very popular with American golf fans, although I don't believe there will be any animosity towards the European team from behind the ropes.
But to have people on the team that the home fans clearly like, I think that will make a big difference. Harrington brings a lot of experience to the team and he's also a very good man manager. He is always quick to give a struggling player a few minutes of his time to offer advice and encouragement.
That can be inspirational to any player, getting help from someone of Padraig's experience, and don't forget he's a three-time major champion. He's been there and done it at the very highest level, and when you've got someone like that on your side, that can only be a good thing.
Paul Lawrie is another sound choice, and he played a huge role in the most recent Ryder Cup in the US - the Miracle at Medinah. He's gone from the lows of Brookline in 1999 to the magical events of 2012, so he's experienced both ends of the scale.
Paul is well known for being extremely resilient. He famously won the Open in 1999, but then he fell away a little before bouncing back to make the 2012 Ryder Cup team by playing some phenomenal golf.
He's got all the characteristics you want for the Ryder Cup. He's a tough, no-nonsense guy and that's what you need in the European team room.
Thomas Bjorn is a little like Paul in terms of character, and he's a realist. He has been a friend of mine for a long time, and he pulls no punches with his opinions. He tells it how it is and, again, that is something that will be invaluable in the team room.
I'm not saying the Americans won't have that kind of attitude, but Europe will definitely have it and Thomas will know exactly how to fire up the team when they need firing up.
There's a good chance that this will be a very tough Ryder Cup. Europe have had such a good run for a long time now, and the Americans will be desperate to win the trophy back for the first time since 2008 - especially on home soil.
It's going to take gritty characters both on and off the course. Can I think of any more gritty characters than Darren's three vice-captains? I don't think I can.
Darren now has time to consider any further vice-captains, and he is also likely to have a number of options available to him when it comes to announcing his three wildcard picks for Hazeltine.
Darren has made no secret of the fact he wants Lee Westwood on his team at Hazeltine, and Lee has been buoyed by his excellent performance at The Masters last month. He has to show consistency through the season, and a win at some point would pretty much guarantee his Ryder Cup place.
Darren will want to pick him, not just because they've been close friends for so many years, but because of the experience, talent and encouragement he will bring to the team.
I spoke to Andy Sullivan about the EurAsia Cup, and he said it made a massive difference having Lee Westwood in the ranks. Darren has seen this first hand.
One of the features of the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills was the "charm offensive" launched by Bernhard Langer to win the fans over. I expect something similar from Darren this year, although he is already a popular figure over there.
Darren is a smart guy, although I was slightly surprised to hear of him taking Paul McGinley's approach to the captaincy and going heavily on stats. Paul left nothing to chance and spent countless hours going over every possible number, but I couldn't picture Darren doing the same.
But he is clearly taking bits and pieces that he likes from previous captains, and that's what makes a great skipper - using the techniques that have worked so well in the past.
Darren wears his heart on his sleeve, and I think he'll be a similar captain to Ian Woosnam in 2006. Woosie encouraged his guys to get out there and get stuck in, and I expect the same attitude from Darren in Hazeltine.
That combined with the stats element will make the team as good as it can possibly be.
Has Darren Clarke chosen wisely? Have your say in the comments section below