“Bernie, I can officially confirm I am a Ryder Cup vice-captain”.

That was Paul Lawrie’s remark moments after being confirmed as a member of Darren Clarke’s campaign to retain the Ryder Cup later this year at Hazeltine.

And what an Everest-like task it has been for the Scot in having to remain tight-lipped and having known about his appointment since July 13th last year – a time span of 318 days.

Lawrie was asked by Clarke when the pair competed over nine holes at Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Challenge match in Aberdeen.

Paul Lawrie breaks his silence after being tight-lipped for 318 days.

He said:  “Darren and I played had challenge match at my golf centre in Aberdeen and he asked me to be on his team when we played against each other last year.

“He said to me just to keep it myself and to keep it quite which has been quite difficult but then you are a player and you still feel as though you can make the team but clearly my game has not been up there for some time so as soon as Darren asked me I had no hesitation in saying ‘yes’

“Marion (wife) was there so she knew straight away while the boys have known.”

Lawrie first competed in the Ryder Cup on the losing 1999 team but wrote his name into Ryder Cup folklore as a member of the victorious 2012 ‘Miracle at Medinah’ team.

And Lawrie’s quietly confident after being overlooked by Paul McGinley as a vice-captain two years ago at Gleneagles, being picked by Clarke could lead to being a future Ryder Cup captain.

Paul Lawrie headed to his third Ryder Cup in the US.

He said: “Yes, it’s happened in the past where the captain has been picked from being a vice captain. There’s not really been a captain who has gone in without having some kind of backroom role.

“So if I’m ever going to be a captain then to you have to be a vice captain and for Darren to give me that role is brilliant.”

Lawrie reckons also having made both Ryder Cup appearances in the States he has a lot to offer Clarke.

He said:  “I have played in two prior Ryder Cups and I have always leaned heavy on the vice-captains.  The first time in 1999 Ken Brown and Sam Torrance were the vice-captains that Mark James appointed and being Scottish I asked a lot of Ken and Sam, and learnt a lot from those two.

“Then at Medinah Thomas (Bjorn) and Darren (Clarke) were vice-captains and I asked just as much of both of them, so like Darren said earlier today we are looking forward to getting to know the players and make sure they will be comfortable working with us and looking each of the vice-captains a little better.

“But the two Ryder Cups were also in the U.S. so I know exactly what that is all about playing in the States and both were memorable given we were 10-6 ahead and then we lost but in 2012 we were 10-6 behind and won.

“So both Ryder Cups were completely opposite not only in terms of the end result but the emotions I personally experienced.

“And in going back to the States four years after what happened at Medinah I should know exactly what to expect and that is the information and advice I can impart to the players.”

Clarke said he would name his last two vice-captains around the time of The Open.