Nicolas Colsaerts keen to get Ryder Cup role again at Bethpage Black

Nicolas Colsaerts, who lit up the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with a combination of some brilliant golf and his warm smile, is ready, if required, to be involved again in the Ryder Cup next year.

The Belgian, who was pipped by Tyrrell Hatton at St Andrews on Sunday as the Englishman won the DP World Tour event for an unprecedented third time, was part of European captain Luke Donald’s backroom team for last year’s match in Rome.

In his bid to become a back-to-back winning captain, Donald has named Edoardo Molinari and Thomas Bjorn as two of his assistants for next September’s match at Bethpage Black in New York and will fill the other berths in due course.

Asked if he expected to be involved in a similar capacity, Colsaerts said: “I think he (Donald) would just look at how the next eight or months pan out and he will make a decision. But I would like to think I am on the short list.”

A smile appeared on the face of Colsaerts, who played in the 2012 match at Medinah, when he was asked how much he’d enjoyed his role at Marco Simone Golf Club on the outskirts of the Italian capital, where he was instrumental in firing up the home fans on the first tee.

“Playing in it, being part of it or even watching on TV, how can you not enjoy it?” he said. “Even if you just get a small role, it’s an amazing thing to be part of.”

In landing his latest St Andrews success, Hatton sits fifth in the Ryder Cup points table, which will produce six automatic qualifiers and also influence six captain’s picks.

“I just told him in the recording area that they probably need him in the team more than me,” joked Colsaerts. “These are valuable points for guys who have gone to the other side (LIV Golf) and Tyrrell is one of the stalwarts of our team. So, in the end, let’s not be sad.”

Hatton, who has now secured the chance to rack up more points in both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and DP World Tour Championship next month, would love to see Colsaerts involved again in the biennial bout.

“Yeah, he's a great guy,” said the Englishman, who has faced the Americans in the last three encounters. “He's a huge help in the team room at the Ryder Cup, and yeah, he's always a fun person to be around.”