PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON has reiterated his intention to be a player rather than Europe's captain in the next Ryder Cup.
Harrington, who was a vice-captain in 2014 and '16, said in the immediate aftermath of the 17-11 defeat at Hazeltine that he wanted to play at Le Golf National in Paris in 2018. And the three-time major winner had no reason to change his mind after claiming a first European Tour title since 2008 in the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura last Sunday.
"[With] the Ryder Cup, Paul McGinley kind of changed the parameters," the 45-year-old Dubliner said.
"It took three and-a-half years out of Paul McGinley's life. It certainly took two years out of Darren Clarke's playing career. I want to be a player. If I go for the captaincy nobody is going to give me back the 45th and 46th years in terms of my playing career.
"It's a huge sacrifice and as much as I would love to be Ryder Cup captain, selfishly I want to be a golfer. I want to compete and win tournaments so I'm going to push it down the road.
"Hopefully I will get an opportunity down the road. At the moment I am focused on playing. Whether it's a reality or not or whether it's a possibility, in my head I am going to make the Ryder Cup team in 2018."
Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who has been a vice-captain on four occasions, is the favourite to be appointed captain by a panel made up of the three most recent skippers - Clarke, McGinley and Jose Maria Olazabal - European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley and players' committee representative Henrik Stenson.
A decision is expected later this year or in early 2017.
