Henrik Stenson accepted the job as Ryder Cup captain on Tuesday and pledged his allegiance to Europe and his attention to do everything possible to win back the gold trophy.

Stenson is the first Swede and the fifth player from continental Europe to be captain, chosen by a five-member panel that included three previous captains.

Europe has not lost on home soil since 1993.

The 2023 matches will be at Marco Simone in Italy, and Europe faces a tough task. The Americans are coming off the largest rout ever over Europe, 19-9 at Whistling Straits, behind a team that had youth, talent, hunger and a little attitude.

Zach Johnson will be the U.S. captain.

Stenson wasn’t the only one considered to lead the European team. Luke Donald also was a candidate, with Robert Karlsson and Paul Lawrie other possibilities.

But Stenson always was a logical choice. The 45-year-old Swede known as the “Ice Man” is a former British Open champion who was the first to win the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour and the Race to Dubai on the European tour in the same year.

He has played on five Ryder Cup teams and served as a vice captain under Padraig Harrington last September at Whistling Straits. It was an aging European team loaded with more experience than form — an average age of 34.5, with four players in their 40s.

“It’s going to be an interesting 18 months,” Stenson said. “Time will tell exactly how the team will formalize. But we have got the old guard. We have got the experience, the players who played a lot of Ryder Cups. We have the new talent that are up-and-coming and have shown some great signs and want to continue to do that.”

Stenson is popular on both sides of the Atlantic, known for his dry wit, occasional pranks and top performance. He played his first Ryder Cup at The K Club in Ireland in 2006 and holed the cup-clinching putt in a European rout.

He has missed only the 2010 and 2012 matches since then.

“He comes with all the credibility of what he has achieved, and as we all know a dry a sense of humor and a fantastic warm personality,” said Guy Kinnings, the European Ryder Cup director. “But he is also a ferocious competitor. He is hugely respected by the players and admired by everyone involved with the game and the Ryder Cup.”