Ryder Cup European Wild Cards

[Grant85]

This is shaping up to be the toughest of picks for Bjorn.

As it is, Olessen looks like he will drop out this week as he is not playing and there are a host of guys who can knock him off.

After the PGA I was pretty sure I wanted the picks to be Stenson, RCB, Olessen and Pieters (assuming Poulter got in automatically).

Now it seems that 5 of this lot are involved, one will get the 8th automatic spot and 4 picks
We have Stenson injured (assume he plays next week though) and needing a pick.
Garcia form marginally improved but US season over (will be interesting to see if he plays in Europe next week) needing a pick
RCB going well in America, but probably needs a pick.
Olessen who is very close but will still need a good week in Denmark to guarantee a spot.
Pieters turning it on in Czech Masters - but still going to be quite a way back even with a win (Czech Masters not the biggest of events).
Pepperell creeping into things in the Czech Masters, but probably needs a win this week or next.
Knox still sniffing about, with a couple of decent weeks in America he could be propelled into the fringes of automatic qualification, and with course form in France.
Casey and Poulter, who have been there and there abouts all summer still a factor and seems likely both will go one way or the other.

It is really impossible to call at this stage, and realistically we will need to wait until late next Sunday to see who the automatic qualifiers are, and in what position the other protagonists have gotten themselves into.

 

[Grant85]

I still reckon that Stenson and Garcia will be hard to ignore, but you imagine they have to show something as given that so many guys are going to be playing on both tours next week, 2 or 3 of these guys will have a big result and almost all of the guys I've mentioned will finish ahead of both Stenson and Garcia.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I wouldn’t pick Sergio at the mo, off form, done rock all this year,
Despite his ranking, I wouldn’t pick Casey either, just don’t see him as a team player.

Stensen is a cert unless his injury doesn’t clear up, in which case Eddie P and Knox come into the picture.

Pieters making a late push can only be a good thing imo

 

[williamalex1]

IMO, there shouldn't be any wild cards, the 12 players with the highest qualifying points should be in the team, end of story.
Forget the old pals act .

 

[Grant85]

IMO, there shouldn't be any wild cards, the 12 players with the highest qualifying points should be in the team, end of story.
Forget the old pals act .

I think Wild Cards essential to potentially allow a player who has been injured to come in (Tiger for America would easily qualify on a full schedule, but only came back spring of this year), as well as a form guy who has come from nowhere to be impossible to ignore. Pieters 2 years ago, who won 4 points for Europe.

But interesting that the number of Wild Cards has gradually crept up from 2 to 4 over the past few years, clearly the captains (on both sides) want to get guys in who fit with the team and obviously don't want to risk a team of rookies.

 

[Grant85]

I wouldn’t pick Sergio at the mo, off form, done rock all this year,
Despite his ranking, I wouldn’t pick Casey either, just don’t see him as a team player.

Stensen is a cert unless his injury doesn’t clear up, in which case Eddie P and Knox come into the picture.

Pieters making a late push can only be a good thing imo

I don't really see how you can't make a case for Sergio but Stenson is a cert?
Sergio is ahead of Stenson in the world points.

 

[Jacko_G]

I don't really see how you can't make a case for Sergio but Stenson is a cert?
Sergio is ahead of Stenson in the world points.

I'd bin them both. Both have had two years to qualify both haven't.

 

[Slab]

If an auto-qualified player subsequently withdraws would the spot go to the next player on the list or would captain get another pick?

 

[DeanoMK]

Personally, I wouldn't take Sergio.

RCB, Pieters, Casey & Poulter. Experience and youth.

 

[Grant85]

If an auto-qualified player subsequently withdraws would the spot go to the next player on the list or would captain get another pick?

Not sure. Can’t think of a precedent for this. Assume injury would allow a replacement after the teams were finalised.

Kaymer didnt want to get a pick in 2012 as he felt so bad about his form, but he ended up staying in the automatic spots. And he certainly didn’t consider pulling out, but he said publicly he didn’t want picked if he was overtaken in the standings.

 

[Dan2501]

IMO, there shouldn't be any wild cards, the 12 players with the highest qualifying points should be in the team, end of story.
Forget the old pals act .

Disagree. It should be 12 Wildcard picks. The qualifying points system is flawed anyway, just let the captain and his team pick the 12 players they want, the Ryder Cup is a spectacle, it's entertainment, and the captain's should have free reign to pick who they like.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Disagree. It should be 12 Wildcard picks. The qualifying points system is flawed anyway, just let the captain and his team pick the 12 players they want, the Ryder Cup is a spectacle, it's entertainment, and the captain's should have free reign to pick who they like.

You would have given Darren 12 free picks

 

[Orikoru]

Disagree. It should be 12 Wildcard picks. The qualifying points system is flawed anyway, just let the captain and his team pick the 12 players they want, the Ryder Cup is a spectacle, it's entertainment, and the captain's should have free reign to pick who they like.

Yeah there's probably more logic to this. He's going to pick the top 6 or so players anyway you'd think, so it wouldn't be vastly different anyway. But this would eliminate those times when a guy has sneaked in in 7th or 8th from one great tournament 8 months ago or whatever and nothing since. So yeah I agree, choose your captain and let him pick a squad that he believes will work well together.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The qualifying criteria has worked fine for decades - with the odd little tweak Europe’s record shows that , getting the players to qualify gives the players something to aim for and also boosts certain tournaments, even if there was 12 picks the teams would very rarely be different anyway.

Each time the captain with the committee will decide on the amount of wildcards - US have four normally from what I recall and Europe have had 2,3 or 4 over the years and 9 times out of ten it’s been fine just as I suspect it will be this time. I guess most just look at the last RC and judge from that

 

[Orikoru]

The qualifying criteria has worked fine for decades - with the odd little tweak Europe’s record shows that , getting the players to qualify gives the players something to aim for and also boosts certain tournaments, even if there was 12 picks the teams would very rarely be different anyway.

Each time the captain with the committee will decide on the amount of wildcards - US have four normally from what I recall and Europe have had 2,3 or 4 over the years and 9 times out of ten it’s been fine just as I suspect it will be this time. I guess most just look at the last RC and judge from that

Has our number of wildcard picks been gradually increasing though? Who knows, in a few years it might be 6 automatic and 6 picks.

 

[UlyssesSky]

I wouldn't say that Knox has really tired any harder than last time to get into the team. Outside of the majors and WGC's he's only played in Europe 3 times and those have been the rolex events, yeah he won one but to me it doesn't seem like he really is that bothered to get in the team, otherwise he'd have played more over here.

I was thinking about the way he presented himself. Last time he didn't really bother about playing in Europe too much, boasted about how Darren Clarke had basically no choice but to pick him and then almost threw a tantrum when he didn't get picked.

This time he seems more humble, played some events in Europe, got some decent results and seems to let the facts speak for him more than his words.

I'd bin them both. Both have had two years to qualify both haven't.

The latter sentence is true for literally every player that isn't automatically qualified. Based on your logic, the team should consist of only 8 players, because no one else has earned being on it.

 

[drewster]

This is shaping up to be the toughest of picks for Bjorn.

As it is, Olessen looks like he will drop out this week as he is not playing and there are a host of guys who can knock him off.

After the PGA I was pretty sure I wanted the picks to be Stenson, RCB, Olessen and Pieters (assuming Poulter got in automatically).

Now it seems that 5 of this lot are involved, one will get the 8th automatic spot and 4 picks
We have Stenson injured (assume he plays next week though) and needing a pick.
Garcia form marginally improved but US season over (will be interesting to see if he plays in Europe next week) needing a pick
RCB going well in America, but probably needs a pick.
Olessen who is very close but will still need a good week in Denmark to guarantee a spot.
Pieters turning it on in Czech Masters - but still going to be quite a way back even with a win (Czech Masters not the biggest of events).
Pepperell creeping into things in the Czech Masters, but probably needs a win this week or next.
Knox still sniffing about, with a couple of decent weeks in America he could be propelled into the fringes of automatic qualification, and with course form in France.
Casey and Poulter, who have been there and there abouts all summer still a factor and seems likely both will go one way or the other.

It is really impossible to call at this stage, and realistically we will need to wait until late next Sunday to see who the automatic qualifiers are, and in what position the other protagonists have gotten themselves into.

Agree with all of this . Only a few months ago I was shot down in flames on here for saying Matt Fitzpatrick has got a lot work to do and is not a "Shoe in" and now he is not even in the conversation.

 

[Grant85]

Agree with all of this . Only a few months ago I was shot down in flames on here for saying Matt Fitzpatrick has got a lot work to do and is not a "Shoe in" and now he is not even in the conversation.

Very easy to drift out of people's thoughts when you've not been competing at the right end of any leaderboards.

For me, Fitzpatrick would be ok for foursomes, but Knox possibly at least as good, if not better. And it is possible Bjorn is going to pick Stenson who may only play once a day (which I assume will be foursomes with Rose).

 

[Jacko_G]

Very easy to drift out of people's thoughts when you've not been competing at the right end of any leaderboards.

For me, Fitzpatrick would be ok for foursomes, but Knox possibly at least as good, if not better. And it is possible Bjorn is going to pick Stenson who may only play once a day (which I assume will be foursomes with Rose).

I'd suggest that Rose has the sort of game that will allow him to team up with anybody quite easily. Him and Fleetwood or Casey would also be extremely strong. If Stenson gets the nod I can see him and Noren being strong together too.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I'd suggest that Rose has the sort of game that will allow him to team up with anybody quite easily. Him and Fleetwood or Casey would also be extremely strong. If Stenson gets the nod I can see him and Noreen being strong together too.

Stenson and Noren has the potential to be a very good partnership, McIlory I can see with Tommy - Rose and Poulter , Molinari will be a superb partner for anyone with him being so consistent- then there is the potential for all Spanish team with Rahm with either RCB or Garcia - the ones who you would not see an immediate partnership for me are Hatton amd Olesen.

Can see Bjørn trying Hatton with Molinari and if Olesen gets in then maybe Olesen with Rahm ?