Ryder Cup 2012

Was just reading Lawrence Donegan's latest article and although not usually a fan, thought it was quite a bold call to try and name the European side for Medinah next year.

Surprised that he left Garcia out of his thinking at all but thought it might be interesting to see what other people's opinions were.

Apologies if this has already been covered.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/sep/07/jose-maria-olazabal-ryder-cup-2012

Donegan's European Ryder Cup team for 2012

Rory McIlroy

Luke Donald

Lee Westwood

Martin Kaymer

Matteo Manassero

Robert Karlsson

Henrik Stenson

Simon Dyson

Ross Fisher

Francesco Molinari

Graeme McDowell

Ian Poulter

stenson & Fisher seem like very strange calls to me.

TM2,
Interesting read, thanks, but hard to agree with his very subjective, Brit-centric choices, Stenson, Fisher, McDowell (best matchplayer?) etc.

Would think the first name Olazabal will chalk in is Garcia, unthinkable that he'll be omitted if in any form at all, and very hard to imagine a team with a Spanish Captain and no Spanish players.

We can all have fun making our own selections, I for instance would consider Laird and Noren, but this rationale is a bit of a reach.

i wonder what the odds of mcdowell, 'the man of the moment' last time round missing out next year.

Kwini

Was going to post something similar, Stenson & Fisher stand out as odd choices, and G-Mac needs to arrest his slump sharply. All with the obvious talent to get in the team, but need a turnaround in fortunes.

Agree on Garcia. Aside from hoping he'll qualify automatically, I would think Ryder Cup history and the fact he is US Tour-based would work in his favour also, if he is anything close to decent form next Sept. Being Spanish certainly can't harm his chances.....

Kwini,

I am not overly sure he has declared who he actually thinks is the "best matchplayer", Poulter or McDowell. Bar that one stellar performance from G-Mac I am struggling to think where else he has impressed in matchplay. I'm a huge fan of his but think there is every chance he could miss out unless he turns his form round quite soon. I wonder if he will live to regret the equipment change at the turn of the year?

Think we could easily see Laird and Noren pushing for places and there is always someone who surges from nowhere to make the team.

As I said, not usually a fan but just thought this topic was quite a good one to debate...especially on a Friday when I am counting down the hours to head to Belfast and RCD!

Enjoy RCD!

Talking of which, I see Donnegan also omitted the Champion Golfer of 2011 . . . . .

One of the biggest challenges for golfers below the Donald, McIlroy, Kaymer, Westwood level is going to be management of schedule to fulfil "Tour" requirements in 2012 as well as optimise opportunities for Ryder Cup points - Casey, Poulter, Rose are among those who have comprehensively failed to achieve this balance in previous years and there have been tears as a result.

As much as we would all like to see Clarke play another Rc does anyone actually believe he will make it without a captain's pick?

I agree, until they decide where they are going to base themselves switching between the two tours does them no favours at all. What with Mcilroy going full time in the US next year that in reality leaves 4 spots for the world rankings list. Quite a daunting task!!

I guess it all depends on how bad they want to be involved.

If laird does not play on the European tour how can he play in the Ryder Cup?

Mac, you're joking right? Players qualify via the European Tour, World results and wild cards.

But do they have to be members of the European Tour?

Didn't Rose have a similar issue?

I thought you still had to be a European tour member to qualify through the world list or get picked as a wildcard?

Mac,
I think Laird is committed to do the necessary to fulfil his European Tour membership obligations. Would expect to see him play some late season ET events, plus he's qualified for the HSBC Champions.

Kwini

As far as I know he has played

4 majors
Wgc's
Scottish open

And will play the dunhill. Not sure if that is enough?

He will surely have to alter his schedule over the next year to meet the requirements?

I don't rate him anyway, one short purple patch, now going backwards.

Super, that is the pattern of most players seasons.

Sergio's omission is particularly baffling given that Donegan thinks so highly of him... or at least I think that's the case (someone wrote a column in Golf World quite recently along the lines of "if there's any justice in the world, Sergio will win a major", and I think it was him).

What I mean is that we haven't seen enough of him to show if he is good enough, I think people look at his passport first then think he should play because he's Scottish, plus as far as I know his matchplay history isn't brilliant.
I don't think he's any more likely to be there than other potential debutants like Chris Wood, Rhys Davies or Mannassero.

Skydriver wrote:Sergio's omission is particularly baffling given that Donegan thinks so highly of him... or at least I think that's the case (someone wrote a column in Golf World quite recently along the lines of "if there's any justice in the world, Sergio will win a major", and I think it was him).

There's no justice because Monty didn't win a major.

It seems a bit daft to me to be predicting the entire team a year out from the tournament. Sure, you can say that some players, barring injury, are pretty much nailed on to make it, but there are so many unpredictable variables that predicting the entire team comes down to mostly guesswork.

For what its worth, I'd say that McIlroy, Donald, Westwood and Kaymer are almost certain to make it, barring injury, if Garcia is in any form he'd likely get a captain's pick if he doesn't make it automatically, because of his 4balls/4somes record (15 points from a possible 19), the fact that he is a PGA tour player, and its likely Olazabal will want at least one Spaniard in his team. He's looking much better and happier with golf, I have a feeling he'll make it automatically.

Poulter is another who would be a leading contender for a CP if he doesn't make it automatically, he is a great matchplay player, and loves the Ryder Cup. Unless he is in a disastrous run of form, I think Olly would be mad not to take him.

As for the others, I have a good feeling about Matteo Mannassero, and Francesco Molinari looks like someone who will get consistent results to take him in. Apart from that, I don't think I can at this stage make any other predictions. I'd like to see Dyson make the team though.

So my team is:

McIlroy, Kaymer, Donald, Westwood, Garcia, Poulter, Mannassero, Molinari plus four others.