European Wildcards

I think you'll be disappointed. Poulter will be there, have to take him he's been playing well this year and event form goes without saying. Casey likely as well. Wallace may be worth taking a punt on, could put in a Donaldson at Gleneagles type performance.

Be a travesty if Wallace isn’t picked for me. Not too many people in the European team can boast three wins this season.

I’d also add I think it’s impossible not to pick Poulter.

I don't think I'd pick Wallace.  3 wins on the Euro tour yes.  Also 8 missed cuts including multiple missed cuts after each of his previous wins.  Can you really pick someone who could be great but is much more likely to be terrible ?

I suppose it depends who you are picking ahead of him GB. Garcia more likely to be terrible based on this seasons form for me. Getting in purely based on reputation if he does.

isn't that what the ryder cups all about, shoite 1 hole, 1 match, 1 morning, 1 day but brilliant the next hole,match,day etc

Yeah I think I'd pick Garcia and pair him with Cabrera-Bello.  They did well in Hazeltine.  Garcia has had a terrible season in the US but in European tour events (if you want to compare like with like) he has had two starts - finished 8th at the Ryder Cup venue and 12th in the flagship event.  Arguably his form has improved a bit of late.  Stenson and Poulter the other two picks for me

Poulter and Stenson are certs.... then any two from Garcia, RCB, Casey and Wallace.

Think the two is really hard and nothing would surprise me, but I think Wallace has had the best season of any of them and is in the best current form, so on that basis he'd be in for me. I wouldnt be fussed which of the other three go with him tbh, can see the case for all three. Id probably go for Garcia, RCB, Casey in that order.

Totally forgot about Pieters. Think he will pick him actually.

It sounds like Poulter is a done deal and the only decision to be made is who the other 3 will be. This just does not sit right with me.

Poulter is not a golfing god. He's had a good year but not any better than Wallace,Casey or Knox. His status in the game is a world away from players like Tiger or Mickleson. Mickleson has played his way onto the last 11 Ryder Cup teams,is just 2 spots outside automatic qualification and has absolutely earned the right to his first wildcard pick.

Poulter has had 3 very good Ryder Cups in 2008/10/12, and 2 average ones in 2004 and his last appearance in 2014 where he sat out 2 matches.Its now 6 years since he played a leading role in a Ryder Cup. He is playing better this year than he has for a long time but he's about to turn 43 and the trash talking days of " its just me and Tiger now" won't carry much weight in 2018.

Thomas Pieters,with 4 points, was Europe's leading points earner in 2016 and yet the younger man is hardly getting a mention as a possible pick. Cabrera Bello also had an excellent Ryder Cup debut. Russell Knox just missed out on an automatic last time and is in the exact same position this year. Casey and Stenson have played as well as Poulter this year and for many years before that, when Poulter went missing.

All of the above players have played/are playing well this week yet Poulter missed the cut when he really needed to prove a point.And Wallace showed huge bottle in winning his third tournament in 12 months(4th in 15 months) in the final qualifying tournament.He should be the first pick. Poulter, at best, should be under consideration for the fourth wildcard.

another poulter pick makes a mockery of the procedure only kept his playing rights in the 1st place by a quirke of fate,accounting  error etc,the fact he,s had a socalled good season and still failed comfortably to qualify should be enough for him not to get picked ,that's before his terrible attitude in his interview on Friday after missing the cut, I don't care about this wee, next week or east lake just the ryder cup,sounded more like a begging letter to bjorn

IN 2016 the leading 15 players in the final Ryder Cup European Points list were: (Top 4 qualified + and 3 Capt picks in bold)

1 Rory McIlroy 4,171,716.36
2 Danny Willett 4,059,360.67
3 Henrik Stenson 3,554,055.09
4 Chris Wood 2,593,023.46

5 Andy Sullivan 2,472,016.00
6 Matthew Fitzpatrick 2,289,796.46
7 Rafael Cabrera-Bello 2,191,913.62
8 Søren Kjeldsen 1,848,804.54
9 Thomas Pieters 1,761,162.28
10 Tyrrell Hatton 1,688,068.41
11 Martin Kaymer 1,676,848.54
12 Victor Dubuisson 1,675,632.53
13 Thorbjørn Olesen 1,628,788.97
14 Shane Lowry 1,535,713.87
15 Lee Westwood 1,525,566.25


The leading 15 players in the final Ryder Cup World Points list were: (Top 5 qualified in bold, not already in European Points table - 4 to qualify in 2018 + 4 picks on Wed @2pm live !)

1 Henrik Stenson 380.31
2 Rory McIlroy 319.97
3 Danny Willett 271.99

4 Sergio García 207.95
5 Rafael Cabrera-Bello 179.42
6 Justin Rose 173.09

7 Chris Wood 163.06

8 Andy Sullivan 153.80
9 Matthew Fitzpatrick 153.58

10 Russell Knox 141.22

11 Thomas Pieters 141.18

12 Søren Kjeldsen 121.19

13 Martin Kaymer 120.90
14 Lee Westwood 117.67

15 Tyrrell Hatton 114.35

As mentioned, Pieter's turned out to be a standout Rookie on the 2016 Ryder Cup Team.

THE GREAT DANE has to pick 4 from these before Wed @2pm

EUROPEAN POINTS.....

9     Russell KNOX     2,659,683.33
10    Eddie PEPPERELL     2,509,997.42
11    Matthew FITZPATRICK     2,390,681.42
12    Rafa CABRERA BELLO     2,256,340.05
13    Matt WALLACE     2,081,455.61
14    Ross FISHER     2,003,759.99
15    Jorge CAMPILLO     1,769,824.97
16    Henrik STENSON     1,666,022.41
17    Paul DUNNE     1,628,405.68
18    Alexander BJORK     1,617,000.06
19    Shane LOWRY     1,584,567.65
20    Thomas PIETERS     1,522,685.10
21    Lucas BJERREGAARD     1,476,277.92
22    Ian POULTER     1,434,919.00
23    Chris WOOD     1,403,425.05
24    Sergio GARCIA     1,398,187.28

WORLD POINTS.....

9     Ian POULTER     170.87
10    Rafa CABRERA BELLO     168.75
11    Paul CASEY     167.05
12    Matthew FITZPATRICK     159.05
13    Sergio GARCIA     146.93
14    Eddie PEPPERELL     145.24
15    Russell KNOX     144.71
16    Matt WALLACE     143.22
17    Henrik STENSON     140.62
18    Ross FISHER     116.57
19    Jorge CAMPILLO     104.19
20    Paul DUNNE     103.27
21    Shane LOWRY     102.01
22    Lucas BJERREGAARD     100.11
23    Alexander BJORK     100.10
24    Thomas PIETERS     91.45

POULTER gets in before Sergio on both lists

ASSUMIMG my four picks from the World Points table are...

9  Ian POULTER     170.87 (his last RC)
10 Rafa CABRERA BELLO     168.75
11 Paul CASEY     167.05
12 Matthew FITZPATRICK     159.05
13 Sergio GARCIA     146.93
14 Eddie PEPPERELL     145.24
15 Russell KNOX     144.71
16 Matt WALLACE     143.22
17 Henrik STENSON     140.62 (Starting with Henrik, there are only really 5 possibly better picks from the Euro Pts list, so CERT ! - so therefore only 3 picks left)

DO we discard.....

Casey (instead of Knox ??? now that's the only question)
Fitz (in comparison to Knox in 2018)
Sergio (A MAJOR CHAMPion - at your peril (and his putter) - Rafa flies the Spanish flag anyways, although he tied 8th at Le Golf National in June)
Pepperell (close call with Rafa on the money table - who will suit team better ?)
Wallace (5th pick ? BUT IN SUPER FORM - on the smaller stage)

Casey -5 vs Knox -4 in BOSTON

Knox on reflection a tad unlucky if misses out again...playing at a higher level than most.
Very consistent, probably needed a top 5 this week,not a loudmouth doesn't help. Not stating his case like Poulter.

Looking at the wildcard betting-best prices are Poulter 1-20, Stenson 1-12, Casey 1-6, Garcia 1-3.

All 4 players over 40. Surely a mix of youth and experience is a better option. Pieters and Rafa were Europe's best players last time.Reed was top US player. All rookies and burying the lie that the Ryder Cup is all about age and experience.

Regardless of those prices I really believe Wallace will get picked. It is after all a European team representing the European tour. I cant see how a 3 time European tour winner this year can be left out.

if knox was beat up last time for missing out its all pretty simples really, he could come over to Europe for 18 months compete in what you call weaker events and either qualify or come very close after showing a desire to compete for Europe by competing on the European tour, as he didn't I imagine its a case if I qualify ok I qualify if I dont jog on,

if top 8 gets you a pick in a 12 man side I don't see why 9,10 11,12 doesn't as proved by Wallace missing out on top 12even though winning 3 times,you don't make top 12 by accident or flash in the pan, should be 1 pick to allow for serious injury otherwise go by the tables,its becoming a joke,
every other year. cant see how playing target golf in the usa benefits you playing at the likes of paris or any other european venue in the autumn no matter if you think its harder to win in the usa,although there,s umpteen rookie winners in the usa every season who arnt sighted again

personally my picks would be Poulter (whether you like him or not doesn't matter) Casey, Wallace (if you want to keep guys in Europe then you have to reward a 3 time winner) and finally Garcia.

The last pick is difficult but I would probably go with Garcia (have changed my mind about picking him) as he has played reasonably well on 2 euro starts and well on this course.

Whatever it's difficult!!

if you give a captain 4 picks cause its difficult, only a previous ryder cup player is going to get a spot if finishing 9,10,11,12,a rookie has little chance, so have 8 picks and the wildcards are from a minimum of similar size pool of 8, Wallace finished 13th ,3 wins and considered outsider of about 6 to get a place,captains just making it difficult for themselves

Wallace might have had all those wins but is no better than 16th on both lists, he clearly lacks consistency and therefore can't be trusted. I can't think of too many rookies that have ended up getting in as wildcards. The 4 will be:

Stenson
Poulter
Garcia
Casey

FWIW.....(and that's not much)

Nick Dougherty
Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Matt Wallace.
Robert Lee
Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Matt Wallace.
Ewen Murray
Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter Paul Casey, Matt Wallace.
Jamie Spence
Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Matt Wallace

Andrew Coltart
Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Rafa Cabrera Bello.

Henni Goya
Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matt Wallace.

Richard Boxall
Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Thomas Pieters, Matt Wallace.

Live on Wednesday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf.


KNOX is not on anyone's Christmas card list.

I honestly posted that without realising there was a betting market on here for it. The 4 I have picked are all odds-on

one that I am surprised by and could be overpriced is Russell Knox

the bloob • September 3, 2018 4:55 PM BST
Wallace might have had all those wins but is no better than 16th on both lists,

Note: WALLACE (13th) is over 415,000 ahead of STENSON (16th) on the European Points table !

BETTING
Ian Poulter 1/25
Henrik Stenson 1/6
Paul Casey 2/5
Sergio Garcia 4/6
THEN.....
Matt Wallace 11/8
Rafael Cabrera Bello 19/10
Thomas Pieters 9/4
Russell Knox 52/5

Lay Sergio and back Rafa & Knox ?

Garcia could be the one to miss out, not just because he might not get picked, but because he might take himself out of the equation. He did it before when he was out of form, asked not to be considered

Think Tommy might invite him a Capt's assistant.

...along the TIGER lines at Hazeltine

...and politically correct

Wallace might get the nod if Bjorn wants to show loyalty to the tour, but being realistic, he's won 3 very mediocre events and shown very little (other than a decent PGA) any time he's stepped up in class, even in the stronger Euro tour fields- in his 3 wins he hasn't faced a single genuinely world class player.  As soon as the big boys came to play he went MC-MC-MC-MC in France, Ireland, Scotland and The Open.  He may kick on to the next level but he isn't there yet.  Giving him a wildcard would be like giving the winners of League One a Champions League spot.

just reading ben coley he thinks stenson,poults,poulter are as the buzz word says lock ins and thinks Garcia playing a poker event in spain for charity last week instead of turning up in Denmark, means he may have got the nod beforehand of bjorn ,

Can't Catch Me    Joined: 02 Apr 03
Replies: 27087 02 Sep 18 23:31 
Be a travesty if Wallace isn’t picked for me. Not too many people in the European team can boast three wins this season.

Three relatively low grade wins for wallace 24, 24 and 22 OWGR points for each win. Wallace is certainly on a upward trajectory and winning is winning but the ryder cup would be a massive step up in class from what he is used too.

Personally I would pick, Stenson (if fit), Poulter, Rafa and Casey. If question marks are around Stenson's fitness then would probably go for Knox.

The team has four rookies on it already and could do with some experience in the picks.

off course depending on the question asked the nod could have meant non, so he went to play poker anyway,

Wallace may have won lesser events but he,s also hammered 1 current ryder cup player Olsen and 2 past ryder cup players fitz,petiers, and chased down europes ryder cup legend in westwood last week,so if he lacks the class doesn't say much for europes chances does it, if going for experience stenson,garcia,poulter,casey,you might as well put westwood in ,he,s in better form than all 4 of them

COLEY - Poulter and Stenson will return to the side to add some needed experience and it appears like that, despite having failed to capitalise on a strong position and qualify automatically, Casey will join them.

That leaves Garcia, Pieters and Cabrera Bello as the three likely options, all with good Ryder Cup records, and while I am increasingly of the view that Pieters would be worth the risk, I'm equally of the opinion that Bjorn will more likely side with Garcia.
It's true that the Spaniard has been out of sorts for much of the year, but it's also true that he had a chance to win the Open de France, and that he is precisely the sort of character to be lit up by a return to Ryder Cup golf.

When last in action, Garcia halved arguably the highest-quality singles match of all time with Mickelson and we should not forget that he's become a major champion since. For all the obvious form concerns, it's easy to understand why a captain would give him the benefit of the doubt with three weeks left to find his game.
Equally relevant is the fact that this team does lack Ryder Cup form. Five of the eight automatic qualifiers will be making their debuts and while there are no rookies really in the mix for wild cards, Garcia's vast experience since his 1999 debut gives him an edge which Pieters and Cabrera Bello do not have.

Reading into his absence from the Denmark field is risky, but it's possible Garcia has been told he's going to be named. Otherwise, one would've expected him to play, even if he was raising money for charity back home in Spain rather than teeing it up. One way or another, I remain of the belief that he's Bjorn's Plan A, and that Pieters' failure to win in Europe and Cabrera Bello's good but not great golf in the USA will see Garcia given the benefit of what is now considerable doubt.

ALL EYES ON BOSTON imvho.

I would certainly leave Poulter out.I would pay good money to make the call.

I hope Wallace gets in ,not much point of any regular European Tour player ever being considered if 3 wins in a year don't get you in.Might as well be called US A v US B ,the B team all live over there probably.

Casey was a cert once he rejoined the European Tour,no doubt after Tommy had a word.

that's the madness of it last 2 ryder cups casey in form excluded now probably in his worst form in 3 years looks like getting a pick, I wouldn't imagine casey,s persona goes down to well with regular European tour pro,s

As far as I know, Europe have 5 rookies in the team but that is no issue whatsoever. Rahm, Fleetwood, Hatton and Noren are rookies in name only and will need nobody holding their hands.

We don't need 4 forty something wildcards coming in to an already experienced side. If that happens then there's going to be a crazy number of rookies in 2 years time.

As for Wallace and his apparent lack of consistency - surely wins are what its all about. 4 wins in 15 months is consistent winning.Who cares about missed cuts or top 10s or top 20s. Match play is all about winning and having the bottle to win, which he clearly has.

Here comes RCB...

would look at course form too.

surely bjorn will want to limit the usa bombers too, so
straighter hitters likely to be called up.

2018 Result from Paris...

1 NOREN Alex -7 73 72 65 67
2 KNOX Russell -6 71 70 72 65
2 SURI Julian -6 70 70 69 69


2
WOOD Chris
ENG
-6
70
68
67
73
0
0
278
521,990
€ 451,260


5
KINHULT Marcus
SWE
-5
71
65
67
76
0
0
279
250,600
€ 216,644


5
RAHM Jon
ESP
-5
70
69
68
72
0
0
279
250,600
€ 216,644


5
SOUTHGATE Matthew
ENG
-5
71
73
70
65
0
0
279
250,600
€ 216,644


8
BJÖRK Alexander
SWE
-4
73
69
68
70
0
0
280
150,150
€ 129,805


8
CAMPILLO Jorge
ESP
-4
73
71
70
66
0
0
280
150,150
€ 129,805


8
GARCIA Sergio
ESP
-4
72
70
64
74
0
0
280
150,150
€ 129,805


8
THOMAS Justin
USA
-4
70
70
69
71
0
0
280
150,150
€ 129,805

Read more at http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018054/le...

Sergio 1.39 to lay.Looks like Tommy has bottled it and looked after his pals.Shame ,US looked a good thing to me before the picks,more so when the inevitable is announced tomorrow.

Catch Me ifyoucan • September 3, 2018 5:12 PM BST
Think Tommy might invite him a Capt's assistant. 
...along the TIGER lines at Hazeltine
...and politically correct


CAN'T HAVE SERGIO (1/8 now)..... as another vice Capt certainly yes, and put RAFA (11/4) on the Team..... just a matter of how Tommy saves face for Sergio (and Spanish eyes) with the media slant.

who are these bellends clapping ffs

Pick 1 Casey.Picked him in 2017.

wtf sergio

2.Sergio.Deary fecking me.

garcia.

poulter surely

confirmed poulter

and last one to stenson

3.Poulter.4th time as a pick sums up his ability.

Disappointing none of the younger lads will get a chance

final 4
casey,garcia,poulter, stenson.
no upsets then.

4.stenson.I hope they get a walloping.

How fcuking predictable

Poor Justin ,can't play without Stenson apparently.Does Bjorn believe this nonsense ?

Hope he gets grilled about the exclusion of Wallace ! Get to it Livvo !

i hope Garcia plays well but I have a horrible feeling he will play like Westwood did last time

Bjorn picked the old boys club innit! Picking all his buddies gonna bite him on the ass! USA look lumpable pity there already odds on

Sergio, eh ? I thought Sergio had more about him and mind have stood aside to let someone who is actually hitting the ball in the right postcodes have a go.

Sergio and Casey 25 and 35 on the list respectively.

Would understand if they were playing exceptionally well. But they aren't.

What happens if Stenson's elbow gives out before the singles?

They get 1/2 a point.Might be best if they have 3 or 4 injuries.

unless the rule has changed.

Probably 5 players on the European team who would get a gig if they were American - Rose, Rory, Francesco, Rahm and Tommy (maybe). Every player for the USA would be a walk up start for Europe. Huge mismatch this feels like, but you still got to win the points.

any thoughts on euro pairings
rose,stenson
garcia,rahm  seems likely but what about
molinari
Mcilroy
fleetwood
poulter potential partners?

imo McIlroy will have a huge say on the outcome and he needs to play at the top of his game

I assume he will play pretty much every session so he will need to win more than he loses

Garcia has missed 7 of his last 12 cuts and will be the first player to ever make the Ryder Cup having missed the cut in all four majors that year.

Casey,Garcia,Poulter and Stenson played on the same Ryder Cup team back in 2008 when they got hammered 17-11. They were in their thirties, and their prime,back then but 10 years on and they monopolize the wild cards. Has Thomas not realized that the world moves on. The old boy network is alive and well.

Poulter was given his first wild card that year and won 4 points. His reward seems to be a wild card for life.

Pieters got a wild card 2 years ago and was the first rookie in history to win 4 points but is overlooked next time.

Europe were always going to be up against it but this team looks stale and past its sell-by date before a ball is struck.

Couldnt agree more ftv.

For all the valid arguments against these picks, if I'm an American drawn against any of those 4 I'm going to think I'm in for a really tough match.  Can't help feel any American player would rather face RCB, Pieters, Wallace or Knox than any of the guys who got picked.

You may be right TB they may think that. But 2 years ago those same players would most likely have thought that playing Westwood or Garcia would have been easier than playing Pieters or RCB. So much depends on how much fire they've got in their bellies.

RCB,Pieters,Wallace, Knox etc are probably,right now, every bit as good as the 4 old men but there is a bias against them because they have only had a few years on tour whereas the veterans have had 20 plus years each to earn whatever reputations they have. They have won 2 majors between them which would hardly cause panic among the Americans.

The flip side to that TB, is if you were a European player and you could choose who you went out with in the Fourballs on Day One, would you choose all of those four over Pieters? Personally I’d take TP every time. I know he’s going to throw in a few bad holes, but I’d be confident of plenty of birdies.

Maybe, but I have a feeling there's a strategy at work here.  The majority of the US team are boom-or-bust type guys, a bit like Pieters (although every one of them is better than Pieters at it).  If I'm trying to counter that style of play (ie grow the rough etc) there's no point taking that style of player, and LGN doesn't have a great history of rewarding that style of player.  If I'm going to set it up tough and attempt to grind it out then going with gritty, experienced competitors over someone more flashy like Pieters makes sense.

Feel a bit sorry for Rafa not getting a pick - he would have got in had the monday finish counted.

With five rookies on the team I think Bjorn had to go with experience. Can't be having Wallace whilst he has made great strides forward the quality of fields he has beat are a world away from the standard of a Ryder cup.

I actually think the ryder cup will be a lot closer than people are predicting. The likes of Spieth, Bubba, Fowler, Reed are not exactly ripping up any trees over the last few months. Phil is lucky to get a pick as well. It will come down to who plays well over the three days. Often the stars are not necessarily those with the best pedigree.

Casey,Garcia,Poulter and Stenson played on the same Ryder Cup team back in 2008 when they got hammered 17-11. They were in their thirties, and their prime,back then but 10 years on and they monopolize the wild cards. Has Thomas not realized that the world moves on. The old boy network is alive and well.

It was 16.5 - 11.5. 2008 was Europe's weakest team in a long time Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson got in! To make matters worse the star players that year Harrington, Westwood, Garcia all had a poor week.

Casey,Garcia,Poulter and Stenson played on the same Ryder Cup team back in 2008 when they got hammered 17-11. They were in their thirties, and their prime,back then but 10 years on and they monopolize the wild cards. Has Thomas not realized that the world moves on. The old boy network is alive and well.

It was 16.5 - 11.5. 2008 was Europe's weakest team in a long time Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson got in! To make matters worse the star players that year Harrington, Westwood, Garcia all had a poor week.

My mistake on the 2008 score.

Hansen and Wilson got there by right - played their way in and deserved to be there at that time but their careers plummeted afterwards. It happens a lot in golf.If it was a weak team then,well almost half of them are back again but they are balder,fatter and creakier this time round.

The rookie thing is surely gone out the window these days. The European rookies have bags of big game experience. As for the US rookies - can anybody see Koepka,Dechambeau or Justin Thomas being unable to cope with the enormity of the occasion. Imo there is far too much emphasis put on experience when it comes to Ryder Cups. I'd take fearless youth over cautious veteran in matchplay every time

The 2008 ryder cup gets much criticism as does Faldo but the margin between victory and failure was turning a few matches around. Had the big names performed as they had all year then europe could easily have won.

The pressure in the ryder cup is different to regular golf. Many players are documented talking about how it affected them. How the rookies will do is yet to be seen but with a rookie you add the dimension of it being something new.

It would be interesting to know historically how rookies have coped.

Brooks played in 2016 - the us had 2 rookies europe 6 the us won

The likes of Rahm, Fleetwood, Thomas, Bryson are talented players who have won or contended in big events but none have experienced a ryder cup some will rise to the occasion e.g. colsaerts or Peters others will take time to adjust.

I think with europe already having 5 first timers to add others such as a Knox or Wallace for me would have been a risk. Stenson, Casey and Poulter are fully justified picks as they have the experience. Knox has played 27 times in the US this season but not made the top 70 for this week. Stenson, Casey and Poulter all tee it up this week the later two have wins this year. Stenson has 5 top 10s in 15 starts in an injury plagued year. Wallace in his career has one top 10 in rolex series, wgcs or majors and that came in a relatively week field last year in Italy.

Leaving out Rafa for Sergio is a big call but the other three picks for me were relatively straight forward.

Mighty,
Andrew Coltart - Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Rafa Cabrera Bello - is the only one that agreed with us.

A couple of years ago I played a pro-am with Mark James. During the round the discussion got on to the ryder cup and one of the guys in our fourball asked Mark if he regretted not playing Coltart van de velde and Jarmo till the sunday. He said he didn't as europe had a big lead going into sunday and that the three were weaker than the rest and would have weakened the team in the earlier rounds. He then added one of our problems on the sunday was half the team were rookies and had never experienced anything like it. The sunday of ryder cup isn't like a regular sunday - the abuse the players got was outrageous rather than gentile applause they were getting outright abuse it was something none of them had experienced before.

a funny story from 99, on the sunday rookie Andrew Coltart gets paired with Tiger Woods having not played all week.

They step on first tee.

Coltart - Hi Tiger, i'm Andrew

Tiger - Hi Andrew, the first is a slight dog leg of the left

A few holes in both hit it to about 3 feet

Coltart - we good - good tiger

Tiger - No i'll knock mine in and we will see if you can do the same

you can imagine what happened next

Knox has played 27 times in the US this season but not made the top 70 for this week.

Yeah, while KNOX was second at this year's French Open on the Le Golf National course in Paris (which will host the Ryder Cup), he only had three T10 in the US and only finished 84th on the FedEx ranking list.
Bjorn greeted Inverness-native Knox at July's Open Championship with the words "welcome to the conversation" after the US-based Scot won the Irish Open.
"He pushed himself into contention, but other players are more qualified," said former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher - agreed - didn't push hard enough !

Enjoying his new motor home...
https://twitter.com/rooknox/status/1036770097728290821

Apparently Garcia is "the heartbeat of the team"

I fear a cardiac problem might be just around the corner.

Why didnt they take into account the fact that the US tournament finished on Monday-someone scoring big points and qualifying for the team would obviously be in form?

And from the ryder cup website

......"there will be a greater weighting for points earned in tournaments in the latter stages of the process to help ensure the European Team reflects those players in form nearer the time of The Ryder Cup itself"

So Bjorn picks the players out of form!!

In the modern day, ryder cup rookies are well used to high intensity golf and huge,even hostile crowds.Anybody can have a good or bad week but I don't see being a rookie as being a defining factor.

If you take the last RC, US had 2 rookies, Koepka and Moore, who were a combined 5 from 7. Europe had 6 rookies.  3 were a combined 7.5 from 10 and the other 3 were 0 from 7. But then Westwood,our most experienced player, was 0 from 3.

In 2014 US had 3 rookies and they happened to be their top 3 points earners with 8.5 from 13 while Bubba was 0 from 3.

And in 2012 US had 4 rookies who produced 9 from 15 while their oldest and most experienced player, Stricker was 0 from 4.

Whenever a Ryder Cup comes around I keep hearing the media telling us the same old story about how the rookies are at a disadvantage and how they will find things so difficult. Its all rubbish

I don't think being a rookie is a massive deal either. I suspect if you went through all the Ryder Cups rookies would have a losing record overall - but that would be more to do with the fact they're either young players who haven't reached their full potential or they're older, run of the mill guys appearing in their one and only Ryder Cup courtesy of a solid year like the Kisners and Hoffmans of the world.

I'd take 12 rookies if the best 12 players were rookies.

only just seen the picks as i have been out of commission, i was also surprised by the picks, but i do agree with what Total Bosman said about the mindset of the americans when they see the names they will be playing, certainly more of a fear factor with the people chosen than if they were told they were playing Wallace etc, just on rep alone the picks are probably worth a few shots advantage. if thatmakes sense. im a bit out of it and may be mumbling and talking utter nonsense,more so than usual

I'm with the majority questioning Garcias inclusion - hopefully he turns his form round in the next few weeks. I'm more surprised that not many are questioning Woods inclusion for the US - he's been on 6 out of 7 losing teams and missed out on the wins in 2008/16 (where the team ethic on the US team was superb). I'd suggest he has been hugely detrimental to the US teams in the past through his demeanour and general approach to the tournament which has decimated team morale. I do expect a different player this time, he might actually give a monkeys for the first time ever...

Tiger shooting 29 going out today is an indicator to why he is picked

Tiger's record in the ryder cup is average to say the best 13 wins 17 loses 4 halves - 16 of the 17 loses are in fourball and foursomes. His singles record is pretty good.

Whilst America had Woods and Mickleson in the 2000s the teams were pretty average.

Tiger shooting 29 going out today is an indicator to why he is picked

Tiger's record in the ryder cup is average to say the best 13 wins 17 loses 4 halves - 16 of the 17 loses are in fourball and foursomes. His singles record is pretty good.

Whilst America had Woods and Mickleson in the 2000s the teams were pretty average.

American team nailed on winner sadly

We've looked inferior before and won, wouldnt surprise me at all if Europe won again - I've backed the tie - reckon it will be on the cards at some point on the final day to cash out for a decent profit

I think there is plenty to be optimistic for for Europe- the American team is full of those boom-or-bust, brilliant but inconsistent guys, some magnificent (and superior) players on their day, but how many times do you see them all on their day at once?  Even with DJ, the number 1 player in the world, what you get seems a complete lottery.  They seem to take it in turns to be brilliant rather than ever really battle it out with each other, and that's what gives Europe plenty of hope. 

The EUR team is by and large more reliant on Steady Eddie types, and that's possibly a better fit for the course too.  They will have to grind for a result but I think it's perfectly possible they do so.

of course a cynic might say raffa turned up because there was no pressure as he new the Monday finish wouldn't count,and Sergio by not playing in Denmark also marked raffa,s card. if anything raffa was probably hoping he got the nod over casey,but bjorn had casey sorted 18 months previous as long as he was fit

another winner not playing RC to accommodate Garcia