European Tour strengthens its Board with Thomas Bjorn appointment
Thomas Bjorn. Picture: Getty Images
The Coronavirus pandemic is a huge challenge for the European Tour but it has certainly added a strong personality to its Board with the appointment with immediate effect of Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn as a Non-Executive Director.
The most successful Danish golfer in history and the victorious European Ryder Cup Captain at Le Golf National in 2018, the 49-year old was nominated to the position by the Tour’s Tournament Committee.
According to the European Tour:
He will bring important current player perspective to the Board, with 2020 being the Dane’s 25th consecutive season as a European Tour professional, having made his first appearance in 1996.
During that time he also served as Chairman of the Tournament Committee itself for a decade from 2007 to 2016, before stepping aside to concentrate on the build-up to his Ryder Cup Captaincy triumph in France.
A staunch supporter of European golf and the European Tour throughout his career, Bjørn’s time as Tournament Committee Chairman coincided with some of the most significant changes to the European Tour in its 48-year history.
The first one came in 2009 with the instigation of the Race to Dubai, a year-long campaign which replaced the old Order of Merit and which crowned Europe’s Number One golfer at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
Following that, together with Chairman David Williams who took up the post in 2014 and Chief Executive Keith Pelley who was appointed a year later, Bjørn and the Tournament Committee oversaw the establishment of the Rolex Series, the premium event category on the Tour’s International Schedule.
Speaking of his appointment Bjørn said: “I am delighted and honoured to be invited to join the Board of the European Tour. I have lived and breathed the European Tour for the past 25 years and, in that time, I have always strived to do the best I could to progress both the Tour itself and its membership. The same will be the case on the Board and I am looking forward to getting to work as soon as possible.”
Chairman David Williams said: “I’m delighted to welcome Thomas to our European Tour Board. His stellar golfing career is well documented, including his 2018 experience as a winning Ryder Cup Captain. He has always had our Members’ interests at heart, and he will continue to do so on our Board.”
The European Tour’s Board is a mixture of business leaders and professional golfers and while the late John O’Leary stepped down in March last year due to illness, Bjorn is equally passionate about the circuit having played such a leading role in its growth over the past 25 years.
“Through a rotational system, which adheres to the best practices of corporate governance in terms of time spent in service, we have an excellent balance on our current Board between professionals and business leaders – the system having seen several new Board members join recently while others have stepped down,” Chairman Williams said. “This will continue.”
European Tour Board
David Williams (Chairman)
David Jones
DJ Russell
Jutta af Rosenborg
Mark Roe
Paul Eales
Paul McGinley
Robert Lee
Ove Sellberg
Chris Hanell
Martha Brass
Eric Nicoli
Thomas Bjørn
Thomas Bjorn – Career highlights
Graduated from the Challenge Tour where he finished number one on the Rankings in 1995
Won the prestigious Loch Lomond World Invitational in his first season in 1996 on his way to being named The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year.
Qualified for Europe’s Ryder Cup team at Valderrama the following year, the first Danish player to play in the biennial contest, and was undefeated as Europe won 14 ½ - 13 ½.
Played in three European Ryder Cup Teams, winning every time; 1997, 2002 and 2014.
Was a Vice Captain during three further European Ryder Cup triumphs; 2004, 2010 and 2012
Captained Europe to a famous 17 ½ - 10 ½ victory at Le Golf National in Paris in September 2018.
Has won 15 times to date on the European Tour over a 17 year period from 1996 to 2013.
