Harrington and Poulter would be my wildcards
SERGIO Garcia won the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina at the weekend, and I’m delighted for him. I couldn’t be more delighted. I’ve known him since he was 14 years of age. He’s a dear friend and an absolute gentleman, and I’m delighted that that also now means he’s going to make the European Ryder Cup team.
Considering he hadn’t won on the PGA Tour for four years, to play the way he did in the last round was absolutely magnificent and, of course, the four birdies he secured in five holes was particularly impressive. He thoroughly deserves what will be his sixth Ryder Cup cap.
Another who is set to feature is my fellow Scotsman Paul Lawrie, which I’m also obviously pleased about. His inclusion is a great thing for Scotland, particularly as it will be the first time in 13 years that he’ll have made the team.
I know what it’s like to be Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, and if I were Jose Maria Olazabal – this year’s captain – and had to pick two to take the wildcard places, they would be Padraig Harrington and Ian Poulter, even above the Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez.
With Harrington, it’s simply a case of him being a three-time Major winner; that sort of experience will always be key.
For Poulter, it’s both because he has an impressive record at the Ryder Cup, and because of the good form that he’s been producing lately.
Sam Torrance OBE is a multiple Ryder Cup-winning golfer and media commentator. He has won 21 European Tour titles in a 40-year career and famously sank the putt that clinched victory for Europe in the 1985 Ryder Cup. A player on the team on eight occasions, winning four times, he also captained the side to victory in 2002. Since 2004 he has competed on the European Senior Tour, winning the Order of Merit in 2005, 2006 and 2009.