Honesty is best policy for deputies, says captain Clarke

By Tony Jimenez VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Europe's Ryder Cup skipper Darren Clarke was clearly not looking for 'yes-men' when he was deciding who to choose as his vice-captains for the matches against United States in September. Honesty from his backroom staff will be the order of the day for the cup holders at Hazeltine, Minnesota and Clarke believes Thomas Bjorn, Padraig Harrington and Paul Lawrie will provide exactly what he wants. "These guys I've known for almost my entire career on tour, three good friends, guys who won't be afraid to tell me sometimes what I don't want to hear," the captain told a news conference at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on Friday. "They are guys I trust implicitly and their opinions I will value tremendously. You want honesty from your vice-captains, you want them to tell you exactly what they are thinking." Clarke is planning to add two more deputies to his backroom staff by the time of the British Open at Royal Troon in mid-July. Harrington, Lawrie and Bjorn are all still active players and Clarke said it was tricky finding the right moment to invite them to be vice-captains. "It's a difficult thing," added the 2011 British Open champion. "I didn't want to ask these guys too early because they are still playing fantastic golf. "If you ask them to do it, it's almost like you think they can't play and they are not going to make the team. All of them still could if they had a really good summer." Triple major champion Harrington is the highest-ranked member of the trio, at number 152 in the world, and he is thrilled at the prospect of traveling to Hazeltine. "I'm very honored to be part of this team," said the 44-year-old Irishman. "He waited a decent amount of time, and a very polite amount of time, to confirm I would be in his team. "All of us dream of playing great golf every week we play and we think that tomorrow we are going to win but the reality is a little clearer than that and there comes a time, and now is the time that is pretty clear, that we are set for vice-captaincy rather than anything else." (Editing by Ed Osmond)