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You have to pick now...

One Planer said:
So why not pick Faldo, Jiminez and Olazabal?

I get your point Phil I really do, but I cannot understand why you would pick someone purely on experience over someone in form.

To coin an example from another sport, why did the then England manager pick Wilshire ahead of Drinkwater in the previous Euros?

Experience vs form?

Mcilroy has great experience of the Ryder Cup, yet his current form (... And putting) is shocking.

Europeans will always gel as a team regardless who is picked purely as there are less egos to clash.
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I don't think you can compare the England football team to picking a RC team - don't think it's anywhere near the same

As for Faldo etc etc - do you really need to be told why not them despite their expirence

The two players in discussion are Kaymer and Westwood - are both really that badly out of form ? Yes they aren't winning but both have had solid seasons with Westwood having a good season in the majors and clearly still a great person to be a foursomes partner with

The RC pressure is unbelievably different compared to any other golf comp

Form goes out of the window as soon as the team gets together

I would pick Westwood right now over anyone - you can't put a value on the expirence he will bring to the team and how he works within a partnership. I'll take that over someone having a good run of form on the European Tour
 
Liverpoolphil said:
I don't think you can compare the England football team to picking a RC team - don't think it's anywhere near the same

As for Faldo etc etc - do you really need to be told why not them despite their expirence

The two players in discussion are Kaymer and Westwood - are both really that badly out of form ? Yes they aren't winning but both have had solid seasons with Westwood having a good season in the majors and clearly still a great person to be a foursomes partner with

The RC pressure is unbelievably different compared to any other golf comp

Form goes out of the window as soon as the team gets together

I would pick Westwood right now over anyone - you can't put a value on the expirence he will bring to the team and how he works within a partnership. I'll take that over someone having a good run of form on the European Tour
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As I say I see your point to and, to a point, agree.

I would pick Kaymer over Westwood all day. To go with him I would pick Knox and Pieters.

If experience was that much of a key factor, I'm sure Clarke would pick Westwood, Kaymer and Donald.

But experience isnt the only factor, merely one of a number.

You can't pick players who aren't currently, or havent been competitive. Confidence is a massive thing in golf and when your out of touch invariably your confidence will dip.

While I agree that experience of Ryder Cups is something that should be considered, that isn't going to suddenly make somebody play better. If that player is paired with a rookie, the pressure again increases purely because of their experience. Pressure and low confidence aren't a great mix in golf.

I would wager that Pieters confidence in his abilities is currently higher than Westwood/Donald et al.

I would rather see 2 rookies bang in form play together a's opposed to someone in form dragging a more experienced, out of form, player along. Look at the Spieth/Reid rookie pairing from the previous Ryder Cup in 2014. Both were in form and we're exceptional.
 
One Planer said:
As I say I see your point to and, to a point, agree.

I would pick Kaymer over Westwood all day. To go with him I would pick Knox and Pieters.

If experience was that much of a key factor, I'm sure Clarke would pick Westwood, Kaymer and Donald.

But experience isnt the only factor, merely one of a number.

You can't pick players who aren't currently, or havent been competitive. Confidence is a massive thing in golf and when your out of touch invariably your confidence will dip.

While I agree that experience of Ryder Cups is something that should be considered, that isn't going to suddenly make somebody play better. If that player is paired with a rookie, the pressure again increases purely because of their experience. Pressure and low confidence aren't a great mix in golf.

I would wager that Pieters confidence in his abilities is currently higher than Westwood/Donald et al.

I would rather see 2 rookies bang in form play together a's opposed to someone in form dragging a more experienced, out of form, player along. Look at the Spieth/Reid rookie pairing from the previous Ryder Cup in 2014. Both were in form and we're exceptional.
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Well Donald has been out of it for a good 3 years now so I don't think even despite recent form he will even be discussed

I don't think confidence will be an issue for Westwood - he is still competive and had a decent season especially in the majors where he has challenged at times and had a great masters and a decent US and Open

And plenty of rookies have also struggled over the years - Gallacher a prime example last time

Right now there are already 5 out of 9 players who are rookies one more I think is the max they have had before ( 2010 ) and I think that's the limit DC will go for

DC will see Westwood as his leader on the course - the vice captain who is playing - it's the role the last three captains have had for him.

I agree it would be great to pick the form players and they would be Pieters and Knox but I don't see it happening - both will no doubt have a number of RC ahead of them

Also i believe DC will have partnerships in his head already and will pair rookies with Westwood who enjoys that role and I can see him being in a partnership with anyone but there is someone about Knox ( only based on what I have seen ) that just make me feel he is more of a US type player - can't see who he would play with but Pieters though - well can see him playing really well with someone like Garcia or Sullivan

But there is every chance I could be very wrong and he will go for Knox and Pieters and Westwood is a VC
 
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Liverpoolphil said:
Well Donald has been out of it for a good 3 years now so I don't think even despite recent form he will even be discussed

I don't think confidence will be an issue for Westwood - he is still competive and had a decent season especially in the majors where he has challenged at times and had a great masters and a decent US and Open

And plenty of rookies have also struggled over the years - Gallacher a prime example last time

Right now there are already 5 out of 9 players who are rookies one more I think is the max they have had before ( 2010 ) and I think that's the limit DC will go for

DC will see Westwood as his leader on the course - the vice captain who is playing - it's the role the last three captains have had for him.

I agree it would be great to pick the form players and they would be Pieters and Knox but I don't see it happening - both will no doubt have a number of RC ahead of them

Also i believe DC will have partnerships in his head already and will pair rookies with Westwood who enjoys that role and I can see him being in a partnership with anyone but there is someone about Knox ( only based on what I have seen ) that just make me feel he is more of a US type player - can't see who he would play with but Pieters though - well can see him playing really well with someone like Garcia or Sullivan

But there is every chance I could be very wrong and he will go for Knox and Pieters and Westwood is a VC
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jeez, that's a lot of rambling. Make your mind up man 😃

Ps if you already have 10 pages back, sos 👍
 
Considering choice will be between Westwood, Kaymer, Knox and Pieters.The easy one would probably be Westwood-Kaymer-Knox. Two experienced players and Knox (higher ranked than Pieters). But do you need two experienced players? And is experience not overrated? Both Knox and Pieters are just playing better (and for some months now) than the two older guys. Logical choice would be the two rookies and one experienced one. But can't imagine Clarke skipping Westwood or Kaymer. I predict the easy one with some nice words for Pieters (the future of European golf blablabla).
 
Papas1982 said:
Whilst i think they ryder cup has massive appeal.

I think most players whilst thoroughly enjoying the format would still take a major over it so i think the feel less pressure during it.
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Whilst I agree that all the players would take a major over a RC - the pressure is massively different because you aren't just playing for yourself - reading various books from golfers - Clark , Monty , Poulter and even stories about Faldo and Seve - all talk about the pressure in the RC and just being thankfully of getting the tee shot away , the books are state that the pressure in the RC is more because of the crowds and it's not just about them it's about another 11 guys as well.

This has also been posted on Twitter

Looks like there has been a leak in the Ryder Cup wildcards picks, Westwood, Kaymer & Donald set for Captains picks! #STP
 
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Liverpoolphil said:
Whilst I agree that all the players would take a major over a RC - the pressure is massively different because you aren't just playing for yourself - reading various books from golfers - Clark , Monty , Poulter and even stories about Faldo and Seve - all talk about the pressure in the RC and just being thankfully of getting the tee shot away , the books are state that the pressure in the RC is more because of the crowds and it's not just about them it's about another 11 guys as well.
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That's fair, I guess what i meant was whilst the pressure may crank up. They probably fear the consequences less. Yes they don't wanna let poeple down, but golf is a game where the players a trained and brought up to be single minded. I imagine long term they lose more sleep over missed putts during a final round at a major.

I cant envisage any player would give a major up for a ryder cup victory, but i'm sure monty would trade one of his for a major.
 
Papas1982 said:
That's fair, I guess what i meant was whilst the pressure may crank up. They probably fear the consequences less. Yes they don't wanna let poeple down, but golf is a game where the players a trained and brought up to be single minded. I imagine long term they lose more sleep over missed putts during a final round at a major.

I cant envisage any player would give a major up for a ryder cup victory, but i'm sure monty would trade one of his for a major.
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Again you only have to read the books and listen to what Langer has said about his missed putt at Kiawah Island - still haunts him to this day

The RC is something the players just don't get every week - they aren't playing for money or a singles comp , they are playing for each other and a nation and if players like Faldo and Seve are nervous on the tee that shows you how different it is

The RC and the Majors are two comps that I don't think you can compare. The players insights into it tell that story.
 
Liverpoolphil said:
Again you only have to read the books and listen to what Langer has said about his missed putt at Kiawah Island - still haunts him to this day

The RC is something the players just don't get every week - they aren't playing for money or a singles comp , they are playing for each other and a nation and if players like Faldo and Seve are nervous on the tee that shows you how different it is

The RC and the Majors are two comps that I don't think you can compare. The players insights into it tell that story.
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Strange that they had so little interest in the olympics if that's a factor......

I fully accept there is massive pressure and cant claim to have read any golfers books, but 100's have played in both naming a few doesn't make it conclusive.

The likes of Poulter, monty and westwood may claim they feel more pressure, maybe they just wanna big up their RC perfomances. Westwood seems to choke at majors when there is apparently less pressure.....

Poulter along with Bubba actively encouarged noise on the tee, that doesnt strike me as someone struggling with nerves...
Either way, re the picks. I'd probably still take westwood. But only bacuase i dont think there is much between him and kaymer. I wouldn't take both.
 
Rumour has it that Luke shortball and can't hit a fairway Donald is in along with Westwood and Kaymer

Has to be Pieters + Knox + one of Kaymer, Lowry, Kjeldsen, Westwood for my money
 
Papas1982 said:
Strange that they had so little interest in the olympics if that's a factor......

I fully accept there is massive pressure and cant claim to have read any golfers books, but 100's have played in both naming a few doesn't make it conclusive.

The likes of Poulter, monty and westwood may claim they feel more pressure, maybe they just wanna big up their RC perfomances. Westwood seems to choke at majors when there is apparently less pressure.....

Poulter along with Bubba actively encouarged noise on the tee, that doesnt strike me as someone struggling with nerves...
Either way, re the picks. I'd probably still take westwood. But only bacuase i dont think there is much between him and kaymer. I wouldn't take both.
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In the Olympics you aren't playing in a team environment

Any run up to the RC you have lots of programs on Sky and all the players talk about the "different" pressure faced when playing in the RC - no one is "playing it up" and I mentioned players like Faldo and Seve who mentioned the different pressure but then you start going on about Monty and Poulter and Westwood and talking about bottling ?!

You either listen to some of the biggest names in golf in Europe who have faced both types of pressure whilst playing in majors and the RC and have stated how "different" ( highlighting different as I don't think it's less or more in either situation ) the pressure is

Players like Watson and Poulter prob don't show nerves and have a different way of facing the pressure faced whilst playing in the RC

Highly recommend reading the autobiographys or watching the stories of the RC and getting the feelings of the actual players who state exactly how it is
 
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