In this series, we've unearthed images from the RFEG's photographic archive, each one telling a beautiful golf story. The story of our golf. They are OUR CHAMPIONS.

📆 January 18, 2011.

⛳ Abu Dhabi.

▶Has anyone who loves golf ever forgotten what happened on September 30, 2012, at Medinah Country Club? Impossible. It was so dramatic, so exciting, so vibrant, and so beautiful that it will forever remain in the memory of golf fans.

But that historic comeback by the European team wouldn't have been possible if, a year and a half earlier, they hadn't considered a Spaniard, José María Olazábal, to lead the difficult task of winning in the United States, something that had only happened once in the last seventeen years. With his experience, knowledge, and charisma, Olly, as he's known to many English speakers on the circuit, was the perfect person for the job. Never has a choice been so astute.

▶It was the European Tour Players Committee, meeting in Abu Dhabi, that made the decision to appoint a Spanish captain for only the second time in the tournament's history. Previously, only Severiano Ballesteros, in the legendary 1997 Valderrama edition, had led the team. On both occasions, success belonged to the European side.

▶The aforementioned committee, which included Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, had little work to do on election day: the only name on the table, and one that had been circulating for a long time, was that of the Basque golfer, highly admired and respected by the professional community.

It's worth remembering that José María Olazábal participated in the Ryder Cup seven times (1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1999, and 2006), winning four times (1987, 1989, 1997, and 2006) and playing a key role on the European team thanks to both his charisma and his high winning percentage. In fact, he and Severiano Ballesteros are considered to have formed the best doubles partnership in the history of this legendary tournament, with a record of 11 wins in 13 matches.

▶On the same day his appointment was made official, Olazábal stated that, while his two Masters victories were the highlights of his career, this was his “greatest moment of pride.” “Golf has been my life, and representing Europe in the Ryder Cup has given me great pleasure. Being appointed captain is something very special, and I’m going to take on this role with great enthusiasm,” he added.

Olazábal also recalled that the Ryder Cup had given him "memorable moments," but he didn't know that the most exciting one was yet to come. How beautiful that was at Medinah!