Selection of the European Ryder Cup Team

Is it time for a complete overhaul of the European Ryder Cup selection process and when the team is announced? Is it time for a complete overhaul of the European Ryder Cup selection process and when the team is announced?

Dealing first with the selection of the team, this was an extremely difficult decision for Captain Colin Montgomerie and his vice-captains, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjorn.

Montgomerie has stated that the main priority was to select a team that could deliver 14 1/2 points, therefore pairings and the right balance was essential.

I believe it was unforeseen that Eduardo Molinari would finish the way he did, with three birdies on the spin, to move up to 15th in the official world golf rankings and secure his place in the team.

There is a case to be argued for all of the players who have been selected. The likes of Peter Hanson and Miguel angel Jimenez also delivered when the question was asked of them.

In terms of the automatic picks, there can be no argument as that is the selection criteria, which everyone is aware of before they hit a golf ball.

One thing that just does not sit well with me, in terms of the official world golf rankings, which is a gauge for how a player has played week in week out, is that the likes of Francesco Molinaro, who is ranked 35th and Peter Hanson, ranked 40th in the world golf rankings should be selected ahead of Paul Casey, who is ranked world number 8. In my humble opinion, this makes a complete mockery of the OWGR and the European Ryder Cup selection process.

On the day of picking the team, there was only three European players ahead of Paul Casey in the world golf rankings - these players were - Lee Westwood (3rd), Martin Kaymer (5th), Rory McIlroy (7th) but yet NINE other players found their way in ahead of Casey when the team was selected, which I feel does not stand up to close scrutiny. I note, this is a view shared by Luke Donald, who was selected for the Ryder Cup team, who advocates change.

The other European players who made the team were ranked as follows:-

Luke Donald (11th), Ian Poulter (12th), Graeme McDowell (14th), Edoardo Molinari (15th), Padraig Harrington (19th), Ross Fisher (26th), Francesco Molinari (35th), Miguel A Jimenez (38th) and Peter Hanson (40th).
Timing of the announcement of the European Ryder Cup Team selection

In my view, the timing of the announcement of the team, was a complete circus, which was impacted I feel by Edoardo Molinar's strong finish and The Barclays event being underway in the USA, with Luke Donald having reached the turn in only 28 strokes.

The Barclays event delivered a result whereby Luke Donald slipped from 10th to 11th in the official world golf rankings and Paul Casey moved up from 9th to 8th position.
It appeared that the focus was on giving as much publicity to Gleneagles the venue for the next European hosted Ryder Cup match after Celtic Manor and to the Johnnie Walker Championship itself.

It is my view, the team should not have been selected until Harrington, Donald and Casey had finished playing in The Barclays event on the other side of the pond.

I strongly believe that announcing the team when anything could have happened, with these players in contention, was a farcical situation and should be rectified.
What do you think?