For the golfers among you
Today the Johnnie Walker Championship begins at Gleneagles. It’s the last qualifying event for selection for the European Ryder Cup team, which will be announced on Sunday, by the captain Colin Montgomerie. Much is being made about Monty’s dilemma in choosing the three wild card picks which he will have, on top of the nine players who emerge from the selection system. The way things stand, four European tour members who are not automatically in the side, all in the world’s top 20 or thereabouts, have opted to play for obscene money in the US this week rather than show up to fight for their places. So what’s big Colin going to do? The choice is his. Does he pick three from Casey, Donald, Harrington, and Rose? (Although for my money Justin has disqualified himself since he’s played only six European Tour events this year.) Does he pick, say, two of them and give a wild card to the tenth guy in the qualifying tables? Does he take a hard line and say, ‘Sorry guys, you should have tried harder to make the team’?
Whatever, it seems to me that he has not been helped by the current selection process. It’s not all that old, and it was designed to favour players who are not completely loyal to European golf in that they choose to spend most of their time in the US. Before that, the top ten in the European order of merit qualified, with two captain’s picks. If that system was still in play . . . okay make it nine starters . . . the team at this moment, before the Gleneagles outcome is known, would be: Kaymer, McDowell, Westwood, Poulter, Casey, Jimenez, Eduardo Molinari, McIlroy, Donald. Monty’s wild card choices would then be relatively easy, as he’d be able to pick from the guys currently in form and also those with track records in the competition. The way things stand at the moment, with Hanson, the man in form, Ross Fisher, who’s been patchy all season, and the other Molinari brother in for Casey, Eduardo and Donald, he’s in a very difficult position.
Whatever choice he makes, it would be nice to think that he has the unanimous, unflinching support of the UK media. It would also be nice to think that there will always be sunshine in everyone’s sky . . . but there’s more chance of that happening, than of some of the weasels in the press corps getting on side.
Quintin Jardine's blog 
Agree with a lot of what you say. However, the 2 captain’s picks only came in when Bernard Gallagher was captain and he was against them as he felt it should be the European Tour v the US Tour. In the end I think Monty only made one error – Harrington does not justify his place and Casey should have replaced him. Delighted to see both Molinari brothers in there, hope they do well. Interesting that, on current form, the 3 best players in the world are in the European side (Westwood, Kaymer, McIlroy).
Still enjoying the Skinner series – probably read them all about 3 times now! – I’ll find time to read Blackstone once I have worked my way through Peter Robinson’s works that I have only just discovered. Good luck to Motherwell for 2010/11.
Finally a very belated thank you for recommending “Foul!” as a read – certainly opened my eyes and has made me very sceptical about the 2018 English bid!
I tend to agree. Harrington owes Monty big time, but . . . if he wasn’t there and Westwood’s ankle didn’t heal up the experience factor would be very low. But there is a small get out of jail card. If Westwood does have to drop out, as I read it Eduardo goes into the side as of right, then, presumably Casey will be next on the list.
I think it is a little more complicated than that but the outcome would be the same! As Westwood qualified from the world list then the next one on the world list moves up and that would be Casey (I think!).
No, it would be Eduardo. Casey’s well back on both lists, it seems. Actually I meant he’d be next on the list for a pick. He has a point about missing the first part of the qualifying period through injury. Since then he’s made it to the final of the Accenture Matchplay and done okay in the Open. I’d have picked him over Luke Donald, but I’m sure he’ll do okay. I’m struck by the fact that Pavin has yet to complete his team. Wonder who his picks will be. Kim, Watney, Cink and . . . Fowler?
I think Donald met a reasonable number of Monty’s requests and did really well at the Wales Open over the Ryder Cup course so I would still have picked him. Looked again at the lists and I see what you mean and it does mean that picking Molinari gives Monty an extra “pick” if anyone pulls up lame.
Pavin was never due to announce his picks until this weekend and it will be interesting. The cop out is to pick Woods but the bold move would be to leave him out. If USA lose Pavin will be on a hiding to nothing as he will get blamed for either picking or not picking Woods! Realistically Kim (if fit enough) and Cink are certainties an I expect Watney will get in as he looks like a genuine foursomes prospect and the USA quite often struggle in that format.
No, realistically, Woods will play, unless he really pisses in the soup this weekend. Fowler over him would be a nonsense, and Pavin is surely too hard-nosed a little bastard to indulge in flights of fancy. Cink would be a safe choice, but he always seems to need a pick. Watney and Kim are said to be certainties, but the latter missed the cut last week, and has played no more than Tiger this year, plus he isn’t Tiger. But maybe they’re both playing for their places in Boston; we’ll know on Monday, since it’s a Labor day finish.