Darren Clarke has said that he is not sure that he would want to be the captain of Europe at the 2014 Ryder Cup.
The 2011 Open Champion is the favourite with the bookmakers for the role at the Gleneagles competition.
The 44-year-old told Sky Sports News: "As much as I would dearly love to be captain, this may not be my time.
"I am exempt [from having to qualify for a tour card] for another three years and if I was given the opportunity to do the captaincy, I'd effectively be throwing two of those years away.
"I played my best golf for about 18 months towards the end of last year. If they asked me to do it in Gleneagles it would be a difficult decision."
The captains are responsible for selecting the teams for the tournament, but do not play in the Ryder Cup.
Clarke has previously tipped 2010 captain Colin Montgomerie for the role, with Tom Watson reprising the captaincy for the American team.
Sian Cowper
