David Howell, Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie and Henrik Stenson: all were up there after the third round of the BMW International Open, combining not only to challenge for the title, but to send out a timely reminder of their ability. And with one of his wild-card options also coming good at the right time, it was an encouraging day for the European captain, Ian Woosnam.
Lee Westwood, whose 68 took him to within five shots of the lead, is thought to be competing with Thomas Bjorn for one of the two captain’s picks that Woosnam will announce in tonight’s press conference. Darren Clarke seems certain to be handed the other. If the first real test of the Welshman’s tenure at the helm is giving him a headache, he could do worse than look at the leaderboard.
Howell, who carded a 66, is in front on 14 under par, two shots clear of Harrington and Montgomerie, who shot 64 and 66 respectively, and Martin Erlandsson. Stenson, who posted a 66, shares fourth place with Simon Khan, a stroke further back. It makes for a refreshing read. Howell has done nothing since winning the BMW Championship in May, although injury hasn’t helped. Montgomerie has missed the cut in four of his eight events since his collapse in the US Open at Winged Foot in June.
Stenson, meanwhile, has struggled to recapture the game with which he started his season, although it was always going to be a tall order.
Harrington, whose last top-10 finish was in the French Open nearly three months back, says a collective surge by himself and his teammates can only be good for Europe. “In the last Ryder Cup, it was hard for Bernhard (Langer to leave anybody out. This time round, I’m sure Woosie is looking for his players to show a bit of form.”
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By contrast, the race to infiltrate the team’s lower reaches has been an anti-climax. The customary dogfight to qualify through what is the last counting event has been conspicuous by its absence. Barring an extraordinary combination of circumstances, the 10 who occupy the automatic spots will still be there this evening.
Although Ian Poulter barged his way into the European team with a blistering final round two years ago, those who started in Munich with hopes of emulating him are too far back. Paul Broadhurst, eight off the lead after a 67, is the nearest thing to a challenger, but the top-three finish he requires is all but impossible. Bjorn, who needs to win, is on five under, while Johan Edfors dropped from contention with a 72.
In a bizarre quirk of the qualifying system, Montgomerie’s performance means Paul McGinley should move up to ninth place, despite missing the cut. Jose Maria Olazabal, meanwhile, is likely to scrape home in 10th, after being relegated to the European points list. The Spaniard is thought to be frustrated by those who questioned his decision to skip this week’s event, but it looks to have been the right thing to do.
The remaining uncertainty surrounds the second wild card. Before Westwood finished with four straight birdies, Bjorn had three in a row from the 11th, but the concession of three strokes in his next two holes forced him to settle for a 71. “I wouldn’t like to be the one missing out because I feel my golf is going in the right direction,” he said. “If I do, I’ll be devastated. I want to be part of it because this is one of the finest teams we have ever had.”
Clarke, meanwhile, will be an almighty gamble. Only he knows how best to cope with the grieving process, following the death of his wife last month, and it is not for anyone else to wonder whether he was right to declare himself available, but the consequences of his inclusion would be unpredictable to say the least. He has no form to speak of, good or bad, having not played competitive golf since The Open in July. By the time he makes his comeback at the Madrid Open, just a week before the match, it will be too late to make a change. Given the high profile of the players’ partners at the Ryder Cup, you have to wonder if it would not be safer and more sensitive simply to spare him the ordeal.
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It has been a difficult week for Woosnam, who revealed by accident that Clarke wanted to be considered. The captain has also faced questions about his preparation, which has not included the kind of bonding exercise that Tom Lehman organised for his players at the K Club last week. Bjorn, though, believes Woosnam has had a tricky situation to deal with these last few weeks, and that when the team is finalised, he will come into his own. Asked what Woosnam will bring to the Ryder Cup, the Dane was in no doubt. “It won’t be dull,” he said. “He has respect from the players and he will bring a lot of team spirit. He will get everybody fired up the way they should be.” The fun, it seems, has already begun. When Harrington was asked whether he would go to the Irish football team’s match in Stuttgart last night, he said: “When you’re doing well at a tournament you can’t go travelling round the world. You have to be disciplined, go to bed early, all that sort of stuff.” The remark was made at the same time as Montgomerie was boarding a plane for Glasgow, where he and the Ryder Cup were due to appear on stage with Robbie Williams.