WHEN Bernhard Langer named Anders Forsbrand as his vice-captain of the Europe Ryder Cup team to face the United States next month, it was a shock. The choice of the Swede may yet come to be seen as an inspired move but at the time, in March, the senior players were stunned that Langer had gone for a man who had never played in a Ryder Cup, lives in America and whom some of them had never met.
Fortunately, Langer did not deliver another surprise in Munich last night when he named the two players to complete his team at Oakland Hills, Michigan. Langer plumped for Colin Montgomerie, 41, who will be expected to provide significant leadership on his seventh appearance in the biennial competition, and Luke Donald, 26, who will be making his first.
Langer’s team comprises five newcomers in Thomas Levet, Paul Casey, David Howell, Ian Poulter and Donald, and seven men who between them have made
18 appearances — Padraig Harrington, Sergio García, Darren Clarke, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Lee Westwood, Paul McGinley and Montgomerie. It is not quite as strong a team as the remarkable 1987 side that had five world stars in it — Severiano Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle, Langer, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam — and the emerging José María Olaz ábal, who was making his debut. However, there is greater depth to this team than any of the predecessors. If the remarkably determined golf shown yesterday afternoon by some of the personnel as they strove to protect their positions in the team or try and get in at the last gasp is anything to go by, then the US will have a real match on their hands.
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There were three outstanding candidates for these two positions and the man who has lost out is Fredrik Jacobson who, despite being ranked 26th in the world, higher than nine members of the team, will rue a slight loss of form in midsummer when his mind was more focused on the arrival of his first child. Jacobson fell out of third position in the world points list then and could not regain his position. Though he has an aggressive style of play and wonderful putting skills, he failed by a whisker to do enough to persuade Langer of his merits over Donald.
In coming to his choice of players, Langer said that he weighed the number of tournaments players had entered, their performances in the past six to eight weeks, their Ryder Cup records, the set-up of the course at Oakland Hills, their leadership role, performances under pressure and their personalities. “I don’t think anyone can criticise me for picking Colin,” Langer said. “He will rise to the occasion. He is sixteenth in the table but my No 1 pick.”
“Luke came here knowing he had to play his way on to the team. Plus, he has a tremendous Walker Cup record and, while that event does not reach the same level as the Ryder Cup, it is matchplay.”
Langer lay low yesterday afternoon, watching the combatants do their utmost to catch his eye in the BMW International Open, which was won by Jiménez by two shots with a 21-under-par 267. It can sometimes be hard to discern what is going on behind those pale blue eyes of his but it took no insight to realise that he must have been proud as he watched the heroics taking place, even if it made the choosing of his two men even more difficult.
It is a tribute to the team who will be hoping to extend the record of having won six of the past nine matches that so many of those who were on the edge of selection or just outside it yesterday afternoon showed such mental courage when the pressure was at its most intense over the closing holes. Poulter, whose inclusion will be welcomed as much for his free spirit and the lack of intimidation he shows to any opponent as for his golf, covered his final eight holes in six under par to earn his place.
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Howell was two under for his last nine, Donald two under for his last six, McGinley five under for his last ten. Alex Cejka, who was probably the next man in Langer’s mind after Montgomerie and Donald, was five under for his last ten.
“The pressure at Oakland Hills is going to be greater than the pressure in qualifying for the team,” Langer said. He knows what he is talking about. He has played in ten of these events. Handling pressure was a theme that Langer returned to again and again and mentioned Montgomerie’s name again and again. “Colin will bring leadership. He will hit shots down the fairway and on to the green. He can handle the pressure.”
RYDER CUP TEAMS
EUROPE
Padraig Harrington (Ire)
Sergio García (Sp)
Miguel Ángel Jiménez (Sp)
Darren Clarke (N Ire)
Lee Westwood (Eng)
Thomas Levet (Fr)
Paul Casey (Eng)
David Howell (Eng)
Ian Poulter (Eng)
Paul McGinley (Ire)
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WILDCARD PICKS
Luke Donald (Eng)
Colin Montgomerie (Scot)
UNITED STATES
Tiger Woods
Phil Mickelson
Davis Love III
Jim Furyk
Kenny Perry
David Toms
Chad Campbell
Chris DiMarco
Fred Funk
Chris Riley
WILDCARD PICKS
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Jay Haas
Stewart Cink