Friday 27 May 2016 19:58, UK
With Darren Clarke naming Padraig Harrington, Thomas Bjorn and Paul Lawrie as three of his Ryder Cup vice-captains for Hazeltine, we look back at their records in the tournament.
Padraig Harrington (W9-L13-H3)
The Irishman made six consecutive major appearances as a player over an 11-year period, helping Europe to four victories, before assisting Paul McGinley in their most recent success in 2014.
Harrington was one of seven rookies in Mark James' line-up in 1999, where victory over Mark O'Meara in the Sunday singles couldn't prevent the USA completing the infamous 'Battle of Brookline'.
The three-time major champion featured again in Europe's victory at the Belfry three years later, before winning four of his five matches in 2004 as Bernhard Langer's side triumphed by a record margin at Oakmont.
A halved Friday foursomes match alongside compatriot McGinley was Harrington's only success in five matches during Europe's convincing win at the K Club in 2006, with the Irishman only returning 0.5points two years later when the USA reclaimed victory.
After extending a winless run to 10 matches by losing in the Friday morning fourballs in 2010, Harrington stopped the rot with back-to-back successes alongside Ross Fisher as Europe triumphed 14.5-13.5.
Thomas Bjorn (W3-L4-T2)
Bjorn has a record few can match in Ryder Cups, having ended up on the winning side in all six tournaments he has been involved in as either a player or vice-captain.
The first Dane to represent Europe, Bjorn remained unbeaten in his two matches in 1997 as Seve Ballesteros' outfit held on to win at Valderrama.
After missing out on qualification in 1999, Bjorn featured three years later and joined Darren Clarke in the opening fourball where they defeated Tiger Woods and Paul Azinger.
The same pairing were beaten later in the day and in the Saturday fourballs, but Bjorn responded by dispatching Stewart Cink 2&1 as Europe ran out 15.5-12.5 winners.
Bjorn became one of the tournament's youngest-ever vice-captains when he assisted Langer's side to victory in 2004, returning to the role in Europe's wins in both 2010 and 2012, before appearing as a player in the 2014 Gleneagles victory.
Paul Lawrie (W4-L3-T1)
A renaissance in Lawrie's career saw the Scot play a part in Europe's 'Miracle of Medinah', some 13 years after making his Ryder Cup debut.
Victory in the Qatar Masters and, more famously, the Open Championship in 1999 made him an automatic qualifier for Mark James' side, where Lawrie finished joint-top scorer for Europe but couldn't stop the hosts snatching victory.
After hitting the opening tee shot of the tournament in Brookline and opening with a 3&2 victory with Colin Montgomerie, the Scottish duo joined forces again to halve their afternoon foursome.
The pair bounced back from a narrow defeat in the Saturday fourballs to see off Tiger Woods and Steve Pate in the afternoon as Europe moved 10-6 ahead, although a 4&3 win over Jeff Maggert in the singles was a rare positive on Sunday as the USA took outright victory.
Two European Tour wins over 2012 played Lawrie into Jose Maria Olazabal's side for the States, where a Sunday singles 5&3 thrashing of Brandt Snedeker was one of eight European wins during a dramatic final day.
