Victorious European Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal is now looking forward to a Christmas greeting card after he and team mate, Peter Hanson resolved their differences.

Hanson went public earlier this month at a Tour event in Scotland and expressing his disappointment at being denied the opportunity to compete on day two of the Ryder Cup.

The 35-year old Swede revealed he was so disgusted he spent some two hours in a darkened corner of the Medinah locker room, and stating at Carnoustie that Olazabal would not be receiving a Christmas card.

Jose Maria Olazabal with three of his Medinah vice-captains at a media function in Shanghai. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)

However both Olazabal and Hanson sat down during this week’s BMW Masters to resolve the issue.

“Peter and I talked this week and I understand his feelings, and I have been in many Ryder Cups myself, and sometimes it is tough to have to sit on the bench on not play when you are expecting to play,” said Olazabal said to reporters ahead of the third round in Shanghai.

“But what I did by not playing Peter, I did because I thought it was the best for the team, and also because we were against the ropes at that stage of the competition.

“We had lost the morning session on Saturday 3 – 1 and I didn’t have the luxury, if you want to put it that way, of doing what I did the day before and that was playing every member of the team.

“So I do understand where Peter is coming from and the best thing is that we left Medinah as a team, a winning team, and we will still be a team.

“I don’t take his comments personal even though it was tough on him.  But then it was tough on me because I would have loved the opportunity of what I did on the Friday.

“And at the end of the day we got the fantastic result we needed, so I am looking forward now to receiving that Christmas card from Peter, and many more Christmas cards.”

Olazabal had attended a function on Friday night in Shanghai in the company of three of his four Medinah vice-captains, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Also present was the gleaming Ryder Cup.

And the Spanish-born captain again was overcome with emotion in complimenting the three for their input into Europe’s historic one-point success.

“The three vice-captains here, and I know Thomas (Bjorn) is not competing this week, but they knew how much it meant to me to win the Ryder Cup,” said Olazabal.

“But in the list of my achievements in my career, including my two Major wins, to win the Ryder Cup was unbelievable and it ranks Number One.

“I had wonderful moments in Medinah and also tough moments but the experiences you get at the Ryder Cup were second to none and unique

“For me this trophy means a lot and I want to thank my four vice-captains as they gave me he best moments of my life.”

Hanson went into the third day of the $7m event leading World No. 1 Rory McIlroy by two shots and declaring:  “Jose Maria talked about what was written after my interview at Carnoustie and I said I’m sorry for what happened, blah, blah, blah, and said that it was written in the wrong way.

“I tried to be a bit funny with Ollie’s Christmas card, and it kind of backfired on me.

“But we all know this business, and we just get on with it.  He understood it was tongue in cheek remark.”