Europe changes qualification process for Ryder Cup
Europe`s controversial qualification process for the Ryder Cup has been overturned on the advice of new skipper Jose Maria Olazabal, the European Tour said.
|Last Updated: Feb 09, 2011, 09:31 AM IST|Source: Bureau
London: Europe`s controversial qualification process for the Ryder Cup has been overturned on the advice of new skipper Jose Maria Olazabal, the European Tour said.
The top five from the European Tour`s order of merit will now qualify automatically with the next five highest players on the world rankings next to win automatic selection for golf`s biggest team event against the United States.
This is a reversal of the previous system.
The captain will pick the remaining two players as wild cards rather than three under the old system.
Last year, Paul Casey missed out on Europe`s 12 in Celtic Manor despite being ranked world number seven at the time.
"I am very pleased that the (Tour) tournament committee has agreed to my request. The only reason that I asked for a change in the criteria is because I believe that it will give me the strongest team possible to defend The Ryder Cup," said Olazabal in a Tour statement.
"I looked over the last few qualification processes, going back to 2004, and was satisfied that my proposal would give me the strongest team on paper.”"We are going to have a very strong team but I just felt that this would give the team the best chance to keep The Ryder Cup and that is what we all want."
In 2010, Europe`s then captain Colin Montgomerie left out not only Casey but also Justin Rose, who had won twice on the PGA Tour, to help accommodate three wild card picks, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington and Edoardo Molinari.Montgomerie said afterwards that he thought the selection process should be changed giving the captain more of his own choices.
"That was a terrible day for me, it really was," Montgomerie said of the selection day when he named his wildcards.
"It should have been an exciting day. But it wasn`t. It was a very poor day, having to leave out players and the way it was done. I had to tell people on the golf course in America -- world players -- that they couldn`t play."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.