Ryder Cup Qualification Criteria

[Deleted member 15344]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/golf/2016/11/05/ryder-cup-changes-on-tour-agenda-after-rory-mcilroy-plea/

So first of all - is it something that should happen ?

If it does happen will it be a good thing ?

Right now the players really only have to play 5 events on the ET outside the Majors and WGC

Is it really that much of a hardship when they can get most of those in during the early Middle East swing where there is lots of money on offer plus the odd comp in the summer.

For me I believe it shouldn't change - can sort of see why some want it to change but if it did I can see it being a massive hit for the European Tour - I will be amazed if they change it

 

[pendodave]

There's no perfect system. I agree that the current one is a decent compromise.

One thing that might need chewing over is the growing trend of Euro youngsters going to college in the US and never playing in Europe. Rahm for instance. We might end up with the top few Europeans being non-qualified which would devalue the comp somewhat.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

At the end of the day, especially given the way we lost recently, we need the best side to be picked. I'm not sure we necessarily always have the form players in the side and I'm pleased the European tour are at least looking at different qualification criteria. It does however need the players to meet them halfway and it shouldn't be too hard to get the necessary qualification events in, especially with the Middle East swing, supporting the BMW, the tour flagship event after all, and perhaps a couple around the Open. Hardly difficult with a bit of will

 

[drdel]

Probably inevitable that professional sports stars will gravitate to the money, which in Golf's case, means the PGA.

I suspect Rory's opinion isn't far off the mark.

 

[Imurg]

The only thing that needs to change in my opinion is the length of the qualifying process.
A year is too long...too many of this year's team effectively played their way into the side by the Spring, just topping up their numbers after that.
Willett, Sullivan, Fitz and Wood all lost form in the run up to the matches.
As they only need to play 5 events plus the big ones, they should start qualifying on the Desert Swing. Finish as they do now, at the end of August.
That's still 6 months. That way you're more likely to have players in form.
And the definition of the team needs to be clearer.
Is it the European Tour vs USA or is it Europe vs USA..?
If it's the Tour vs USA then why can't non-europeans play?
If it's Europe vs USA why do the Europeans have to be members of the ET..?

 

[Deleted member 18588]

And the definition of the team needs to be clearer.
Is it the European Tour vs USA or is it Europe vs USA..?
If it's the Tour vs USA then why can't non-europeans play?
If it's Europe vs USA why do the Europeans have to be members of the ET..?

This sums it up for me.

After all it is not the PGA Tour of America versus European Tour. If it was McIlroy, Stenson, Garcia, Rose etc; would be on the American Tour side.

Personally I would select 12 European nationals to play 12 Americans using the WGR as the measurement.

 

[Tongo]

The only thing that needs to change in my opinion is the length of the qualifying process.
A year is too long...too many of this year's team effectively played their way into the side by the Spring, just topping up their numbers after that.
Willett, Sullivan, Fitz and Wood all lost form in the run up to the matches.
As they only need to play 5 events plus the big ones, they should start qualifying on the Desert Swing. Finish as they do now, at the end of August.
That's still 6 months. That way you're more likely to have players in form.
And the definition of the team needs to be clearer.
Is it the European Tour vs USA or is it Europe vs USA..?
If it's the Tour vs USA then why can't non-europeans play?
If it's Europe vs USA why do the Europeans have to be members of the ET..?

This sums it up for me.

After all it is not the PGA Tour of America versus European Tour. If it was McIlroy, Stenson, Garcia, Rose etc; would be on the American Tour side.

Personally I would select 12 European nationals to play 12 Americans using the WGR as the measurement.

Its the European members of the European tour versus the American members of the PGA tour.

The concepts of the tours as they are now were some distance away in 1927 when the RC began so it was probably a little clearer back then.

 

[Papas1982]

I think it's clear enough already.

You need to be European and and play on the euro tour to participate.
When he build up begins they all tell us it's the pinnacle and they love it, blah blah blah.

Well if that's the case, make the time to qualify. 5 events. It's hardly a massive commitment. And let's not pretend that too many of the main contenders need the PGA gravy train to survive.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Its the European members of the European tour versus the American members of the PGA tour.

The concepts of the tours as they are now were some distance away in 1927 when the RC began so it was probably a little clearer back then.

I am aware of that but the result is somewhat artificial as the Tours are abstract and representative of nothing in each case.

If it is to be the European Tour that is the decisive factor make it attractive to the world's top players.

 

[fundy]

interesting to see the European Tour are happy to break their own rules to keep Patrick Reed as a member, but not to ensure they pick the best Ryder Cup team, double standards?

 

[FairwayDodger]

If it is to be the European Tour that is the decisive factor make it attractive to the world's top players.

This is the crux of it. Currently they are using the RC qualification to make ET membership attractive. They need to make ET membership attractive in itself so the RC carrot isn't necessary. Easier said than done, given the disparity in prize money with the PGA Tour.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

This is the crux of it. Currently they are using the RC qualification to make ET membership attractive. They need to make ET membership attractive in itself so the RC carrot isn't necessary. Easier said than done, given the disparity in prize money with the PGA Tour.

They will never make it as attractive IMO - travel time as well as money constraints will always leave it behind the PGA - many of the ET events make losses. They have dragged it all over the world to satisfy sponsors but the players play on empty golf courses

 

[Deleted member 18588]

I admit I had to resort to Google to discover that the International Team in the President's Cup is basically selected from the Official World Golf Rankings so it would seem that membership of the European Tour being a requirement for the European team is just an attempt to bolster a commercial enterprise i.e. European Tour.

 

[NWJocko]

I fear for the European Tour if it was changed completely.

Maybe make 1 or 2 of the picks "true" wildcards so membership not necessary?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It's the sponsors that are happy and sadly the spectator numbers are secondary. I'm no google expert but I couldn't find anything on the European Tour website or anywhere else that said events were making losses. The ET is trying hard to promote a global gold brand and grow the game. I thought that's what a lot of people, here, in the media and in the ET want

 

[bladeplayer]

Probably inevitable that professional sports stars will gravitate to the money, which in Golf's case, means the PGA.

I suspect Rory's opinion isn't far off the mark.

BUT....


If the top European players played more on the ET , the sponsors/sponsorship would grow the events would grow the prize money / tv money and so on would grow , & as the ET follows the sun around south africa /dubai etc they should be sure of decent weather more often than not ..

or is this a pipe dream ?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

BUT....


If the top European players played more on the ET , the sponsors/sponsorship would grow the events would grow the prize money / tv money and so on would grow , & as the ET follows the sun around south africa /dubai etc they should be sure of decent weather more often than not ..

or is this a pipe dream ?

You have it spot on - the problem is at the moment the events are having to pay appearance fees for some players to play - look at Bubba for example - given money to play then complained the whole time.

The players also follow the ranking points - getting the higher ranked players to attend and then the others would follow - its needs to be more than just Rory , add in Day and Rose and another 5-8 top 20 players and you start to get events that have more ranking points associated to them which in turn will increase the attraction for sponsers etc - but it's all chicken and egg scenario.

For me one of the biggest problems is those ranking points weighting - for me each event should be given a nominal amount of points irrelevant to who is playing

So Majors have the most points , then WGC , then PGA and Players , then your national Opens - then regular tour events. That way players won't have to play in US events to get ranking points to enable them to enter the big events

 

[HomerJSimpson]

BUT....


If the top European players played more on the ET , the sponsors/sponsorship would grow the events would grow the prize money / tv money and so on would grow , & as the ET follows the sun around south africa /dubai etc they should be sure of decent weather more often than not ..

or is this a pipe dream ?

Probably a utopian pipe dream. However I understand where you are coming from but with many top players now setting up home in the US, it's hard, nay impossible to get the very best players to commit to a significant number of events other than the majors and maybe a couple of prime opens (Irish, BMW etc). If the very top ET players aren't even supporting their flagship event then the tour has a very hard task ahead

 

[Deleted member 18588]

BUT....


If the top European players played more on the ET , the sponsors/sponsorship would grow the events would grow the prize money / tv money and so on would grow , & as the ET follows the sun around south africa /dubai etc they should be sure of decent weather more often than not ..

or is this a pipe dream ?

Pro's do this for a living, so ask yourself; would you voluntarily reduce your potential income and increase the amount of time and inconvenience involved in travelling for work.

USA is by far the biggest golf market globally, it dwarfs Europe. Thus their Tour events attract the crowds, TV viewers and then event sponsors.The result is much bigger prize money, more consistent course conditions and less travelling.

The European Tour does a great job but due to the above factors it is never going to be able to offer the top players what they can get in the States.

The level of interest in the ET shown by we members of this forum is not representative of the reality.

 

[Val]

I've said before that the ET is all but dead and golf should move more to a global tour. I believe it could be done and believe many top players actually play on a global tour anyway in all but name