Guidonia Montecelio, May 30 (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.

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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."

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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. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)