Captain Olazabal is right to be wild about passionate Poulter and big-hitting Belgian

 
Jose Maria Olazabal, captain of the European team, and Davis Love III, captain of the USA team
David Smith22 August 2012

The Ryder Cup is all about passion, and no golfer embraces that emotion more than European team captain Jose Maria Olazabal. The Spaniard charged with the responsibility of retaining one of the greatest team trophies in sport freely admits: “The Ryder Cup is welded in my heart.”

That is why Ian Poulter can rest easy knowing he will be a part of Olazabal’s team to take on the United States at Medinah Country Club near Chicago next month, even though he can no longer do anything about qualifying for Europe by right.

The Johnnie Walker Championship starting at Gleneagles tomorrow is the final counting event towards the selection process for the European team, which will see the top 10 players on Sunday night qualify by right with Olazabal naming his two picks to complete a 12-man line-up on Monday.

Poulter’s commitment to the US Tour means he will not be in Scotland. Instead, he will tee it up with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in the Barclays Championship at Bethpage just outside New York.

Yet phoning the eye-popping, fist-pumping, wearing-my-heart-on-my sleeve Englishman to tell him he will win a fourth Cup cap will be the easiest thing Olazabal does this weekend.

Ignoring Poulter’s claims to one of his wild cards is not an option. After all, Poulter occupied the 10th and last qualifying spot until Sergio Garcia won the rain-delayed Wyndham championship in America on Monday, he was a fighting third in the US PGA Championship this month, and his passion for the cut and thrust of head-to-head golf has resulted in two world match play titles and three vital points from a possible four when Colin Montgomerie captained Europe to a magnificent win in the last Cup clash at Celtic Manor two years ago. Olazabal acknowledged: “We all know how great a match player Ian is. He did extraordinarily well in the last two Ryder Cups at Valhalla and Celtic Manor.”

Also missing from Gleneagles is Martin Kaymer, the out-of-form German currently 10th in the European qualifying table and in a lot more danger than Poulter of missing a Cup call. Should Nicolas Colsaerts finish in the top two on Sunday, the big-hitter will leapfrog his rival into 10th place to become the first Belgian to play in the Ryder Cup.

Even if he does not make it by right, Colsaerts is a shoe-in for Olazabal’s second pick on the strength of form that has seen him beat guaranteed Ryder Cup qualifiers Paul Lawrie and Graeme McDowell on the way to ­taking the Volvo World Match Play in May, and finishing seventh both in the Open Championship and in the ­Wyndham.

An outside contender for a wild card, especially if Kaymer falls out of the top 10, is David Lynn who confounded his status as a golfing journeyman when finishing a surprise runner-up to McIlroy in the US PGA.

Pondering what would be a remarkable Cup debut at the age of 38, the Englishman admitted: “I’m just glad to be part of the conversation, to be honest.”

Padraig Harrington, veteran of six Ryder Cups, will probably have to win the Barclays to stand any chance of making Medinah, with Olazabal having already signalled his concern about the Irishman’s putting this ­season.

Passing on bad news is the one part of the captaincy that Olazabal does not relish.

He said: “You have to make a few phone calls, or approach two or three players and tell them face-to-face ‘listen, you tried hard but you’re not going to make the team’.

“I’ve always said that is going to be one of the toughest moments of the captaincy, without a doubt.”

How rivals are shaping up

EUROPE - 10 ALMOST THERE . . .

Rory McIlroy

Age: 23 Ryder Cups: 1

Justin Rose

Age: 32 Ryder Cups: 1

Graeme McDowell

Age: 33 Ryder Cups: 2

Paul Lawrie

Age: 43 Ryder Cups: 1

Francesco Molinari

Age: 29 Ryder Cups: 1

Luke Donald

Age: 34 Ryder Cups: 3

Lee Westwood

Age: 39 Ryder Cups: 7

Sergio Garcia

Age: 32 Ryder Cups: 5

Peter Hanson

Age: 34 Ryder Cups: 1

Martin Kaymer

Age: 27 Ryder Cups: 1

WILD CARD CONTENDERS

Ian Poulter

Age: 36 Ryder Cups: 3

Nicolas Colsaerts

Age: 29 Ryder Cups: 0

David Lynn

Age: 38 Ryder Cups: 0

Padraig Harrington

Age: 40 Ryder Cups: 6

Selection Criteria

After the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles on Sunday the leading five players on the European points list, and the top five on the world points list not already qualified through the European list, will be selected. Captain Jose Maria Olazabal will complete his 12-man line-up by revealing his two picks on Monday.

UNITED STATES - EIGHT DEFINITELY IN

Tiger Woods

Age: 36 Ryder Cups: 5

Bubba Watson

Age: 33 Ryder Cups: 1

Jason Dufner

Age: 35 Ryder Cups: 0

Keegan Bradley

Age: 26 Ryder Cups: 0

Webb Simpson

Age: 27 Ryder Cups: 0

Zach Johnson

Age: 36 Ryder Cups: 2

Matt Kuchar

Age: 34 Ryder Cups: 1

Phil Mickelson

Age: 42 Ryder Cups: 8

WILD CARD CONTENDERS

Hunter Mahan

Age: 30 Ryder Cups: 2

Steve Stricker

Age: 45 Ryder Cups: 2

Jim Furyk

Age: 42 Ryder Cups: 7

Rickie Fowler

Age: 23 Ryder Cups: 1

Brandt Snedeker

Age: 31 Ryder Cups: 0

Dustin Johnson

Age: 28 Ryder Cups: 1

Selection Criteria

At the conclusion of the US PGA Championship 10 days ago the leading eight players in a points list based on prize money gained automatic qualification. Captain Davis Love III will complete his 12-man team on September 4 when he reveals his four picks.

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