Steve Stricker appoints Davis Love III, Zach Johnson as Ryder Cup assistants

PALM BEACH GARDEN, Fla. — Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker has asked two-time U.S. captain Davis Love III and Zach Johnson to be his assistants for the upcoming matches at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

Stricker previously appointed the last captain, Jim Furyk, to be one of his assistants.

The Ryder Cup is still on schedule to be played Sept. 25-27 — one week after the rescheduled U.S. Open.

“Jim and I have talked about this a lot in the last year and now we are happy to add two Ryder Cup veterans in Zach and Davis to the conversation with the goal of putting this team in a prime position to win,” Stricker said.

He referred to Love and Johnson as “strong communicators.”

Love was captain at Medinah in Illinois in 2012 when Europe rallied from a 10-6 deficit on the final day, the largest comeback by a visiting team in Ryder Cup history. He was appointed captain again for the 2016 matches at Hazeltine in Minnesota, the first Ryder Cup since players were given more control over decisions. The Americans won for only the second time in eight matches.

Europe won in France two years ago.

The Americans wanted more continuity when their task force met after the 2014 matches, and one of the arrangements was for two of the assistant captains to formerly have been captains. The other two had to have Ryder Cup experience.

Johnson has played on five teams and had an 8-7-2 record. The 2016 Ryder Cup was the last time he played. He was an assistant to Furyk in France, and he was an assistant to Tiger Woods at the Presidents Cup in December.

Love played in six Ryder Cups, most recently in 2004. Along with twice being captain, he was an assistant to Corey Pavin in Wales in 2010 and to Furyk at the last Ryder Cup.