WITH Ian Woosnam, the captain, refusing to discuss anything to do with the Ryder Cup, it was left to Colin Montgomerie yesterday to pass judgment on José María Olazábal’s decision to risk his place in the Europe team that will take on the United States this month.
As things stand, Olazábal will qualify automatically, but he has decided to skip the BMW International Open, the final qualifying event, here this week, and now is vulnerable.
“After a full year of trying to qualify and then to say you are tired, I was very surprised,” Montgomerie, who had a two-under-par round of 70 around the toughened up Nord Eichenried course, said. “There is a long winter ahead to be tired and apparently he hasn’t played well on this golf course before. But Christ . . .
“If I was in his position, I’d be here. If he feels that he is safe, he feels he is safe. But he is not safe. I know that he wants to be in the team, but he has taken a calculated gamble. I think the team is weaker without him and we need him there.”
Simply put, if Montgomerie — whose place is already guaranteed — finishes 47th or better here, then Olazábal could be displaced from the top ten if, say, any of Paul Broadhurst, Thomas Björn, Johan Edfors or John Bickerton had an outstanding tournament. Then he would require one of two captain’s picks which, Montgomerie implied, was a little unfair on Woosnam.
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After the first round, Björn, who would need to win, was best placed on one under par, four shots off the shared lead of a rejuvenated David Howell, Gary Evans and Martin Erlandsson. Broadhurst and Edfors each had a 72, and Bickerton a 73.
Among those hoping to impress Woosnam is Lee Westwood, who climbed out of his sickbed to play this week. On Tuesday, he received a call from Woosnam asking him not to drop out of the competition, which was as good a way of telling him that he was one of his main contenders, along with Darren Clarke, for a wild card.
Westwood, despite suspected tonsillitis that has left him weak and feverish, did not disappoint. He finished the day with a 68 that included an eagle, two birdies and no bogeys. “You don’t win 27 tournaments without being mentally strong,” Westwood said. “If it wasn’t for the Ryder Cup, I’d be in bed at home in England. I have a high temperature and my legs started to feel like jelly and nearly went towards the end of the round. I’d have taken level par, so 68 is a massive bonus.”
Montgomerie also suggested that he would choose experience ahead of form.
Westwood has experience by the bucketload — he has played in four Ryder Cup matches and was unbeaten in 2004 — but his form has been poor. Among the contributing factors, he said, was a schedule that split his time too thinly between playing in the United States and Europe.
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“If I had played better in the first part of the year and not tried to play two tours, then maybe I wouldn’t be needing a wild card,” he said. Among other factors, he added, was his grandmother’s death in March — “I missed seven cuts on the trot after that” — and the long-term illness of Heather Clarke, who died three weeks ago.
Ian Poulter, who made his debut at Oakland Hills in 2004, was also hoping to make Woosnam sit up and take notice. But he was hugely disappointed with a round of 76, while Paul McGinley, who lies ninth in the standings, had a 75 that will have given him a restless night.
Howell, meanwhile, was delighted with a return to form after playing poorly for three months. “You keep fighting and hope things will turn around. Hopefully, today was the start of that,” he said.
How they stand
1, L Donald (Eng); 2, S García (Sp); 3, H Stenson (Swe); 4, D Howell (Eng); 5, C Montgomerie (Scot); 6, R Karlsson (Swe); 7, P Casey (Eng); 8, P Harrington (Ire); 9, P McGinley (Ire); 10, J M Olazábal (Sp); 11, P Broadhurst (Eng); 12, J Edfors (Swe); 13, J Bickerton (Eng); 14, T Björn (Den).