RYDER CUP CAPTAIN'S SELECTIONS Philip Reidon perhaps the most crucial part of Nick Faldo's Ryder Cup captaincy: the wild card choices which he will announce tomorrow evening
IT'S STRANGE to think that, just a couple of months ago, Europe's captain Nick Faldo felt obliged to instruct Pádraig Harrington to "pull your finger out" to make the Ryder Cup team for next month's defence of the trophy against the United States in Valhalla. That remark came on the eve of the British Open; and, by coincidence, the Irishman's response was to retain the Claret Jug at Birkdale that week, and then go on to win the very next major too, the US PGA championship.
If that's an indication of how Faldo's word will be acted on by players in the European locker-room at Valhalla, then the captain - seeking an unprecedented fourth win in a row in the match from Europe - could well claim to already possess the Midas touch. Alas, for him, it isn't that simple; and, perhaps, the biggest part of his captaincy will take place at Gleneagles tomorrow evening, rather than in the bonding rituals of the week in Kentucky, when he names his two "wild card" selections.
Intriguingly, Paul Azinger, his opposite number, has dispensed with a number of recent traditions: firstly, Zinger, as his pal Faldo calls him, decided to increase the number of "wild card" picks available to him from two to four; and, secondly, he decided not to announce the captain's picks on the day after the US PGA, as has been the norm, but rather to wait until he saw his opposition.
So it is that, although the eight players on the USA team who earned automatic places were known at the conclusion of the US PGA, Azinger won't announce his four "wild card" picks until next Tuesday, when he makes the announcement at a hotel in Manhattan, New York.
In which case, Faldo's actions tomorrow give the Englishman - the record holder in terms of points won on a European team - the chance to draw first blood in the build-up to the match.
Of course, any captain would hope to make inspired choices; and, in that regard, Faldo has a very tough act to follow. Two years ago, Ian Woosnam took a tough time from Thomas Bjorn for over-looking the Dane for the match at The K Club . . . yet, Woosie's choice - Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke - were well and truly vindicated, as his two "wild card" picks enjoyed unbeaten Ryder Cups, Westwood winning three and halving two of his five matches, while Clarke - just six weeks after the death of his wife Heather - won all three of his.
Such inspired choices as those made by Woosnam are, it must said, few and far between. Perhaps the strangest captain's pick of recent matches was that of Mark James, for the 1999 match at Brookline. On that occasion, James decided to overlook Bernhard Langer - who had played much of his golf in the United States - and, also, bypassed the in-form Swede Robert Karlsson in favour of Andrew Coltart.
What made James's choice ever more curious was that, having decided to bring Coltart, a rookie in terms of the Ryder Cup, the captain then decided not to use him until the final day's singles. For the first two days of competition, nobody questioned James as his team ran up what appeared to be an unassailable lead going into the final day's singles.
On the night before the singles, US captain Ben Crenshaw enlisted the help of George W Bush who was brought into the American team room and, using the words of a beleaguered soldier at the Alamo, gave his "victory or death" speech. The next day, Europe lost a four points lead and Coltart, losing to Tiger Woods, was one of those who suffered at the hands of the American onslaught.
That so-called "Battle of Brookline" seems an age ago now; especially to Europe, who have won each of the last four Ryder Cups since then, the last two by record margins. For this latest match, Faldo knows that seven players - Pádraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Graeme McDowell - have booked their tickets on the Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600 flight from London to Louisville for the match.
Three more automatic places will be decided at Gleneagles tomorrow when the Johnnie Walker championship concludes, with Justin Rose, Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson the men in possession going into the last counting event.
To be sure, the real intrigue involves Faldo's selections. What has he said to Paul Casey and Ian Poulter? How will he view Darren Clarke's resurgence? Will he grant Colin Montgomerie a pardon?
Nobody is more interested than Harrington as to what way Faldo will pick. Harrington, who is competing in the Deutsche Bank championship in Boston this weekend, has been championing the cause of Montgomerie in recent months and sees Faldo's choice of two coming from four players: Paul Casey, Darren Clarke, Ian Poulter and Montgomerie.
"I think every week since I've qualified I've had a look at that table to see who's well ahead and who's trying to make it into the table and I'll be like everybody else on Sunday morning trying to find out who's picked on the team.
"I can't see how you couldn't pick Darren. That would be my attitude. He's won twice this year. More importantly, his form has been very good in recent weeks, and he's played five Ryder Cups and been on four winning teams. He's a natural partner for Lee Westwood.
"If I was picking it, yeah, I'd be picking Darren. I can only see positive reasons for doing that and if Monty plays golf this week (in Gleneagles), surely he couldn't be overlooked. Essentially, you've got four players playing for those two spots.
"It's going to be tough. Two guys are going to be unhappy. That's the way it is. It never is clear-cut when it comes to two guys being picked out of four. And unfortunately, Darren throwing his name in the hat last week so strongly, has really put the captain with a tough decision.
"Any of the four guys can compete. The fact that they haven't actually played their way in, means, at the end of the day, if they don't get picked, they can't complain . . .you make the team or else you get a pick, but if you get overlooked, well, that's just the nature (of things), there's other good players out there. That's the situation I didn't want to be left in. I didn't want to be left in a situation where I was competing with other people that had a case for being picked, and all four people have a case for being picked." Ultimately, the decision rests with Nick Faldo. We don't have long to wait.
DEFINITELY MAYBE
EUROPE
Definitely
Pádraig Harrington Age: 36. World Ranking: 3. Ryder Cups: 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006.
Sergio Garcia Age: 28 World Ranking: 4. Ryder Cups: 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006.
Lee Westwood Age: 35. World Ranking: 12. Ryder Cups: 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006.
Henrik Stenson Age: 32. World Ranking: 6. Ryder Cups: 2006.
Robert Karlsson Age: 38. World Ranking: 21. Ryder Cups: 2006.
Miguel Angel Jimenez Age: 44. World Ranking: 18. Ryder Cups: 1999, 2004.
Graeme McDowell Age: 29. World Ranking: 29. Ryder Cups: None.
Maybe
Justin Rose Age: 28. World Ranking: 14. Ryder Cups: None.
Soren Hansen Age: 34. World Ranking: 45. Ryder Cups: None.
Oliver Wilson Age: 27. World Ranking: 51. Ryder Cups: None.
Paul Casey Age: 31. World Ranking: 35. Ryder Cups: 2004, 2006.
Darren Clarke Age: 40. World Ranking: 56. Ryder Cups: 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006.
Ian Poulter Age: 32. World Ranking: 23. Ryder Cups: 2004.
Martin Kaymer Age: 23. World Ranking: 42. Ryder Cups: None.
Colin Montgomerie Age: 45. World Ranking: 91. Ryder Cups: 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006
UNITED STATES
Definitely
Phil Mickelson Age: 36. World Ranking: 2. Ryder Cups: 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006.
Stewart Cink Age: 35. World Ranking: 7. Ryder Cups: 2002, 2004, 2006.
Kenny Perry Age: 47. World Ranking: 17. Ryder Cups: 2004.
Jim Furyk Age: 38. World Ranking: 13. Ryder Cups: 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006.
Anthony Kim Age: 23. World Ranking: 16. Ryder Cups: None.
Justin Leonard Age: 36. World Ranking: 24. Ryder Cups: 1997, 1999.
Ben Curtis Age: 31. World Ranking: 32. Ryder Cups: None.
Boo Weekley Age: 35. World Ranking: 33. Ryder Cups: None.
Maybe
Steve Stricker, Woody Austin, DJ Trahan, Hunter Mahan, Sean O'Hair, Rocco Mediate, Brandt Snedeker, Zach Johnson.
CARD GAMES HOW CAPTAIN'S PICKS HAVE PERFORMED
1995 Oak HillNick Faldo (Played 5: Won 2 Lost 3 Halved 0) - Faldo played in every match. Ironically, for his first three matches, Faldo was paired with Colin Montgomerie but lost both the opening day's foursomes and fourballs in partnership with the Scot. He finally got a win, partnering Monty, in the second day's foursomes (over Curtis Strange and Jay Haas) and then claimed a critical singles win over Strange.
Ian Woosnam (P 3: W 1 L 1 H1) - Woosie came in to the team after original wild card pick Jose Maria Olazabal withdrew due to injury. The Welshman played three times, losing his opening match - foursomes on the second day with Philip Walton - then partnering Costantino Rocca to a fourballs win over Davis Love and Ben Crenshaw. In the singles, Woosnam halved with Fred Couples.
1997 ValderramaNick Faldo (P5: W2 L3 H0) - Faldo's last Ryder Cup appearance, courtesy of a wild card, enabled him to set a record number of career points by a European (25 pts). Faldo partnered rookie Lee Westwood in the opening day's fourballs but had to wait until the afternoon foursomes to taste a win, Faldo and Westwood beating Justin Leonard and Jeff Maggert. Faldo also partnered Westwood to a win over Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara in the second day's fourballs.
Jesper Parnevik (P 5: W 1 L1 H3) - The Swede was not a full member of the European Tour (playing on the US Tour at the time) when selected as a wild card. The rules have since changed to prevent a recurrence. Still, the Swede played strongly over the three days, featuring in all five series of matches, with just one loss (to Mark O'Meara in the singles).
1999 BrooklineAndrew Coltart (P1: W0 L1 H0) - A surprise wild card nomination ahead of Robert Karlsson (who had finished ahead of him in the qualifying table), the even bigger surprise was that captain Mark James left him untested until the final day's singles when he was like a lamb to the slaughter. He faced Tiger Woods in the singles, and lost 3 and 2.
Jesper Parnevik (P5: W3 L1 H1) - Forged a magnificent partnership with Sergio Garcia, the pair winning three and a half points from four over the first two days of foursomes and fourballs. Parnevik, though, ran out of stream in the singles and suffered his only loss with a 5 and 4 defeat at the hands of David Duval.
2002 The BelfrySergio Garcia (P5: W3 L2 H0) - Garcia teamed-up with Lee Westwood to strike a fantastic partnership in the foursomes and fourballs, winning three of their four matches, including an afternoon foursomes victory over Tiger Woods and Mark Calcavecchia on the first day. Woods was to get revenge in the second day's fourballs (when he was paired with Davis Love).
Jesper Parnevik (P2: W0 L1 H1) - Struggling with his form, Parnevik was used only twice by captain Sam Torrance. He partnered his fellow-Swede Niclas Fasth in the second day's fourballs - losing to Mark Calcavecchia and David Duval - but then halved with Tiger Woods in the bottom match of the singles, by which time Europe had already secured victory.
2004 Oakland HillsColin Montgomerie (P4: W3 L1 H0) - Played an inspirational role, leading from the front in partnering Pádraig Harrington to a 2 and 1 win in the opening morning's fourballs over Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Fittingly, it fell to Monty to retain the trophy when he sank a winning putt on the 18th to beat David Toms by one hole in the singles.
Luke Donald (P4: W2 L1 H1) - The first "rookie" since Andrew Coltart in 1999 to be given a captain's wild card pick, Donald's first taste of Ryder Cup action was to partner Paul McGinley in the first morning's fourballs where they halved with Chris Riley and Stewart Cink. A more productive partnership was forged with Garcia in the two foursomes, winning both matches, while he lost his singles to Chad Campbell.
2006 The K ClubDarren Clarke (P3: W3 L0 H0) - Fully justifying Ian Woosnam's decision to hand him a wild card just six weeks after his wife Heather died from breast cancer, Clarke performed heroically in the emotional cauldron of The K Club and won all three of his matches, memorably defeating Zach Johnson on the 16th green in the singles.
Lee Westwood (P5: W3 L0 H2) - An undefeated campaign from Westwood, who featured in all five sessions, made his selection an unqualified success. Westwood teamed-up with Clarke on the first morning's fourballs for a 1 hole win over Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco and, by the time he finished the 2006 match with a singles win over DiMarco, the Englishman had improved his career Ryder Cup record to 15 points.
