Wild things

Last updated: 1st September 2010

On Sunday night at the Gleneagles Hotel Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie confirmed the 12 players and four vice captains who will make up the 2010 European Ryder Cup Team.

I'm sure you were watching or have heard but the European Team is made up of Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell from the World Points List, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Francesco Molinari, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson from the European Points list with Edoardo Molinari, Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington making up the final numbers with wild card picks.

The support team will be made up of Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Sergio Garcia. Monty has assembled a strong team, both inside and outside the ropes, which is more than capable of winning the Ryder Cup back.

There has been some debate about the selection process but if you look below you can see the team wouldn't be much different if he had taken the top 12 European players in the 2010 Race to Dubai Rankings or the World Rankings.

The Race to Dubai team would consist of Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood, Edoardo Molinari, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Rory McIlroy, Rhys Davies, Luke Donald, Peter Hanson and Alvaro Quiros. The only difference would be Casey and Quiros instead of Fisher and Molinari.

The top 12 in the World Rankings are Lee Westwood (3), Martin Kaymer (5), Rory McIlroy (7), Paul Casey (8), Luke Donald (11), Ian Poulter (12), Graeme McDowell (14), Edoardo Molinari (15), Padraig Harrington (19), Justin Rose (23), Ross Fisher (26) and Henrik Stenson (31). Casey, Rose and Stenson would play instead of Molinari, Jimenez and Hanson.

Monty and European Tour Chief Executive George O'Grady were right when they described the European Tour as having "an embarrassment of riches". I would be happy with any of teams above.

Mind you the really embarrassing thing was the timing of the announcement with a number of the team in the middle of playing a vital final round in America. Why couldn't they wait until Monday? The system doesn't need changing but the timing does.

The selection process is designed to encourage the best European players to play more in Europe instead of simply disappearing to America to chase the big bucks. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working.

It was right to pick Edoardo Molinari as he has won two events on the European Tour and is fourth in the Race to Dubai.

I think Luke Donald was also a logical pick as he made the effort to play in Europe this year. He won in Madrid, showed he can handle to Celtic Manor course by finishing third and sits in 11th place in the Race to Dubai.

I just don't understand why Monty picked Padraig Harrington. The answer always seems to be the same - he is a three time Major Champion. Harry Vardon won seven majors but I don't hear calls for him to be brought back from the dead or six time winner Nick Faldo (Sir) to come out of retirement.

The other answer Monty gave was that Harrington is the person the Americans would least like to play. He may be the last person the European Team leaders would like to play but I've watched him hack the ball over the place this year and would fancy my chances against him.

Monty mentioned Harrington's commitment explaining Harrington could be seen working on his game the day after missing the cut at the PGA Championship.

Harrington is a serial practiser and even admits he sometimes practices too much. If you go round to his for dinner I bet he excuses himself from the table between courses to go out and practice.

It beggars belief that Harrington got picked over Paul Casey who is higher in the Race to Dubai, Fed Ex Cup and World Rankings. Casey was 3rd and 12th in the last two majors where as Harrington missed the cut.

They were even paired together in the final round last week and Casey outplayed Harrington by six strokes and finished 35 places higher!

Casey is without dispute a better match player judging by their Ryder Cup records and World Match Play records. Casey even plays more European Tournaments than Harrington who continually criticises the premier event on the European Tour at Wentworth and refused to even show up in 2008 and 2009.

I've come to the conclusion it must be a marketing move and the powers that be feel Harrington (as a three time major winner) is a better advert for the European Tour than Casey.

I would have thought winning the Ryder Cup would be the best advert for the European Tour and Casey would have been a better choice in that regard.

Anyway it got me thinking about how the players who were confirmed as members of Ryder Cup team in the last qualifying event went on to play the next week in Europe and there are interesting results.

In 2008 Jimenez was third. In 2006 Garcia was fourth and in 2004 Donald, Jimenez and Garcia filled the first three places. In 2001 Bjorn was second after R1 before withdrawing with Westwood 22nd.

In 1999 at Crans-sur-Sierre Lee Westwood went to take victory. In 1997 Costantino Rocca went on to win the following week with Clarke and Faldo 6th, Monty 10th and Garrido 25th. In 1995 Rocca was second with Sam Torrance 11th, Monty 11th and Per-Ulrik Johansson 45th.

Only Edoardo Molinari and Jimenez are playing in Europe this week and both should supported at around 16/1. Jimenez seems to excel in the Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre after being picked for the Ryder Cup Team. He has finished 3rd (2008), 2nd (2004) and 6th (1999) there.

Given he is in terrific form Jimenez gets my wild card pick.