Zach Johnson to lead US in Ryder Cup

Zach Johnson will lead the United States' defence of the Ryder Cup when the competition makes its debut in Italy next year.

The 46-year-old, who won the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship at St Andrews, has been appointed captain having been an assistant captain to Steve Stricker in Wisconsin last year and also to Jim Furyk in Paris in 2018.

Johnson played in the Ryder Cup five times and was only on the winning side in his final appearance in 2016.

The United States have not won the Ryder Cup on European soil since 1993, but stormed to a record 19-9 victory at Whistling Straits last year, with all 12 of their team ranked inside the world's top 21 at the time.

In a video posted on the American team's official Twitter account, Johnson said: "As we look ahead to the next Ryder Cup, I see nothing but opportunity; to work hard, to get behind one another and an opportunity to keep the cup.

"I know we are not supposed to win on European soil. Well, I'm used to 'not supposed to'.

"Not supposed to make it on Tour or win two majors and certainly not supposed to make five Ryder Cup teams, but here's the thing - I love it when the not supposed to's, do.

"And as your captain, you can bet that I'm going to bring some of that home-cooked, hard-working Iowa pride to the Ryder Cup."

The event, which pitches the US against a combined European team, will be held at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Guidonia Montecelio near Rome.