Name your Euro WC choices

Ok, Now that the Top 9 in in For Europe, name your choices for Wild Cards:

I'd go Poulter, Gallacher & Casey

I'll go for the next three in World Points after tomorrow's action: definitely Gallacher, then two out of Donald, Poulter and Gonzo.

Poulter for definite. He may not perform but chances are he will - and any captain would have egg on his face if Poulter wasn't picked and Europe lost.

I would probably still take the conservative route at this point and go with experience and pick Lee and Luke - yes I know neither have really performed this year but we all know the RC is something special and different. For an outside bet and a real wildcard in the true meaning of the word I'd pick Luiten - a real birdie machine

But Poulter, Donald and Westwood for me - bad luck for Gallagher but he'll have more chances

Doanld
Gallacher
MAJ

Gallagher deserves a place. Then poulter and I would go donald.

Why on earth would Mac leave out Poulter? Just to be controversial?

Whoever finished 10,11,12 on the convoluted system they have in place.

Is leaving out Poulter a worse decision than including Donald, Westwood and Poulter?

Is that a rhetorical question?

Gallacher, Poulter & Luiten

Davie

I have said for some time on here that I don't rate poulter, and I certainly don't buy into myths. So for those simple reasons he doesn't get into my team.

Out of the leftover serious candidates i.e. Westwood, Donald, Poulter, Jimenez, Gonzo, Gallacher, Luiten and Francesco
captain McGinley might go for:

1) Poulter. His qualification seems to be a done deal for 2 years now.

2) Gallacher. Qualified himself with nerveless play under the gun on fridays back nine and today's final round. Without Otto's miracles and Howell's devine last round he normally would already have been an qualifier on merit. Besides always give the homecrowd someone to cheer for. Remember Clarke in Ireland 2006 and Perry/Holmes in Kentucky 2008.

3) Westwood. Of all of the above mentioned Westy had the less mediocre results when it really counted. This years majors and WGC's that is. [Masters 7th, Sawgrass(ahum!) T6, Bridgestone T19, USPGA T20]

Donald and to a lesser degree the younger Molinari just didn't show enough in 2014. Luiten has merely started his learning curve on the big events. Gonzo's mind has been clouded by stars&stripes all year. Don't bother him with the old world now.
 
Interestingly enough ALL of the above players did in fact loose directly in the first round of the 2014 Accenture Matchplay. I am inclined to think that this tells a little something about their combined 2014 matchplay abilities

He should pick Poulter, Gallacher & Luiten
But unfortunately he will pick Poulter, Westwood & Donald.

I'm really not that fussed. American team looks very weak indeed, so does it matter who McGinley picks?

Poulter, Westwood and Donald are making it very difficult for McGinley by not doing better and getting close enough to showing some form that it would make it easy to pick any of them. I'm not convinced Poulter will be able to turn it on again, but I agree that the thought of not picking him and then losing means he's a cert. After that, I'd personally pick a couple of newbies (Luiten and Blixt?) and talk about blooding them for future years, but I suspect McGinley will go Gallagher and Donald.

Up until Gallacher shot 65 yesterday, I wouldn't have picked him, but now think he is a no brainer and has to be. Poulter is a given. Between Donald & Westwood for me. Cant decide which to be fair.

How about David Howell?

super_realist wrote:How about David Howell?

Certainly more of a Wild card pick that Westwood or Donald.

Had a good 12 months, Ryder Cup experience too and better form than Westwood or Donald.

Agreed - that's what I meant. My view is they are called Wild Card picks - a bit like a joker in the pack and so should be given to someone who could become an unlikely hero. However, the RC has taken on such significance all the picks are likely to be safe bets, which is understandable if a bit boring.

I don't think Poulter deserves a pick, but he'll get one because of what it would mean to morale were he to be omitted.

2 remaining between Donald, Westwood, Molinari and Gallacher.

Poulter deserves a pick for his past achievements. Although his recent form has been average, I feel he is the type of player who can turn it on in a match play scenario and certainly intimidate his opposition. It's been done before.

Super you have frequently said that form in strokeplay tournaments is no indicator of Ryder cup success.

I'd go Poulter, Gallacher, then Westwood but it's a toss of a coin between him and Donald.

I do usually say that Ray, you're right, but I don't think Poulter's form in any format has been good this past 12 months.
Of course, I'm sure he'll get picked, and he's capable of turning it on, but I'm not sure he will.

Yeah so close between Donald and Westwood for me, i would go for the superior short game of Donald and his foursomes record with Garcia

Gallacher on form and Poulter on reputation would be my other choices

Even if Poulter's form is poor, he has that ability to psyche himself up for the RC and I can imagine he really gets under the skin of his opponents. It's something that's been missing from the RC since the days of Seve.

I also get the impression that Poulter helps the atmosphere in the dressing room as well, getting everyone fired up.

What about the US wildcard picks? I reckon Watson should pick Tiger, Dustin and himself. Much better chance of success than some of the potential liabilities in the team like Walker and Reed.

Gallacher and Poulter for sure and considering that will make a very strong 11 against what looks like an average American team, I think there is room for a real wild card. I like the idea of Luiten.

I'm hoping Top 5 gets his arse handed to him.

walker a liability? you mustn't have seen much golf in the last 10 months

my picks would be Westwood Gallagher and Luiten. i think hell go for Westwood Gallagher Poulter though.
Gallagher would be my number 1. local lad, in form, and clearly likes gleneagles based on his previous results.
i think Lee has been told he already has a pick as he otherwise would have played in Italy.

surprised nobody is mentioning WIESBERGER Bernd btw

Poulter, Gallacher, Westwood.

incontinentia wrote:Poulter, Gallacher, Westwood.

You forgetting your brethren Lowry?

Gallagher has indeed been very good. I just don't fancy him in the RC. I suspect he will get a pick but I hope he doesn't

Over/Under 2.5 points for Poults assuming he gets the nod? I'd say over (3.0-3.5 pts)

I feel the same Davie, he doesn't seem much more than a journeyman to me.

super_realist wrote:

incontinentia wrote:Poulter, Gallacher, Westwood.

You forgetting your brethren Lowry?

Sadly, no. Shane would bring a lot to the table but he's prob not ready just yet, similar to Wiesberger. I'm sure both will be on the next RC team.

Would make a change from taking a lot from the table!

BlueCoverman wrote:Would make a change from taking a lot from the table!

BlueCoverman wrote:Would make a change from taking a lot from the table!

Or just taking the entire table!

My picks: Poulter, Donald, Gallacher.

Westwood as VC. He has been on every team since 1997, so it would be tough to leave him completely out of it.

Poulter - lets face it if he was left out and Europe lost can you imagine the stick McGinley would get? I think he'll rise to the occasion (admittedly he has been awful this year, probably even more awful than in previous years he needed a pick.

Gallacher - Not 100% convinced but he is the one making most headway up the rankings and carrying a bit of form, I personally don't buy into the "we must have a Scot on the team" just don't see why it would make ANY difference whatsoever. As someone else mentioned he does have a decent Gleneagles record though.

The last pick??
Molinari, just hasn't quite done enough and his RC record is not great,
Luiten too much of a gamble and he won't pick 2 rookies
Howell - Experienced yes but too little too late (being from his home club I'd love it if he did but it aint going to happen)
So...
Donald - Shocking year (by his standards) to be honest, what has he done form wise to even merit consideration? On the other hand, Good record and a wealth of RC experience and a great putter (important for matchplay)

or

Westwood - Not quite as shocking a year as Donald, he has shown glimpses of proper form but he has had blow ups too (that kind of form can be ok in 4bbb though). Good record and a wealth of RC experience. There are signs that his suspect short game is improving. .Seems to have a more outgoing and team bonding type personality than Donald.

Really could go either way, neither would be a disaster. I'd personally go for Westwood but the idea of going for Donald and having Westwood as an additional Vice would be a shrewd move too.

McGinley has said there won't be surprises among his picks. I guess that rules out the likes of Luiten, Wiesberger, Howell, Lowry, Harrington and Nacho Elvira.

Well well well,
Gallacher, Poulter and Wobbly Westwood.

Shame on Donald, but someone had to miss out.

Wish I'd put money on it now, mind you wouldn't have got good odds, wasn't exactly rocket science .

Shame for Donald, hopefully missing out will give him the kick up the arse he needs. He should be languishing where he is in the rankings but the rankings don't lie

I would have gone for Donald over Gallacher and Westwood in my picks...Bad decision imo.

Hopefully the Ginge willl do better than Hanson and Colsaerts did last time out.

Looks a strong European team, I wonder if Gerry Watson has started his prayers already.

Wonder what made him pick Lee over Luke?

Imagine Chubby made it an easy choice for McGinley . . . . . .

Is McGinley part of the Chandler chain?

No idea, don't think so.

But there's got to be some reason for such an inexplicably daft choice. It looked as if the fix was in when Torrance blathered about Westwood being a certain "pick" a few weeks ago.

Love Westwood but he's the wrong choice here.