Edoardo Molinari named 2nd vice-captain on Europe's Ryder Cup team

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — Henrik Stenson checked out the Italian course staging next year’s Ryder Cup for the first time since being appointed as captain of the European team.

He had a couple of assistants with him at the Marco Simone course outside Rome, too.

Edoardo Molinari, an Italian golfer, was named Monday as the second vice captain. Thomas Bjorn, a former captain, had already been handed an assistant role this month.

“We had chatted a few times about stats and what I could do to help the team,” Molinari said about his previous conversations with Stenson, “but I never expected this.”

Molinari said he thought Stenson was joking.

“We’ve known each other for so many years and he’s always been a person who jokes a lot,” Molinari said. "For an Italian player, though, this is beyond any dream. When I started playing golf, I never thought I’d get to this point.”

Molinari and his younger brother, Francesco, were part of the victorious European team at the 2010 Ryder Cup in Wales.

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