The tough choices - filling out his playing team with three captain's picks - are still a month away. And there might be some very hard choices for Monty to make this year.
The European team will be announced following the Johnnie Walker Championship in late August, the week after the US PGA Championship. In addition to Monty's captain's picks, there are nine automatic qualifiers who make the team via two points lists. The top four players on the World Points list make the Euro squad, and then the top five remaining on the European Points list also get in.
If today was the deadline, Europe's nine automatic qualifiers would look like this (w-via the world list; e-via the European list):
- w-Lee Westwood
- w-Rory McIlroy
- w-Graeme McDowell
- w-Luke Donald
- e-Ian Poulter
- e-Martin Kaymer
- e-Francesco Molinari
- e-Miguel Angel Jimenez
- e-Ross McGowan
From something resembling that group of "leftovers," Monty will have to select only three. Is this the year Garcia - arguably the best Ryder Cup player in the history of Team Europe - fails to make the squad?
Monty could still get some help. Casey is just a few points outside of being an automatic qualifier. There are several tournaments still to go before team selections are made. Point standings can, and most likely will, change.
But any way you look at it, Monty will most likely have to leave a couple of very good players off his team. That's not a bad problem to have, and it doesn't bode well for the chances of the American side. Especially given that American captain Corey Pavin's problem will be the opposite: He doesn't appear to have too many good choices for captain's picks, but too few.
European Ryder Cup point lists
American Ryder Cup point lists
Comments
Clearly the selection system for the European team is weighted to those who play on the European Tour. This ignores the fact that to be one of the best players in the world a golfer must play the PGATour.
The Ryder Cup teams should comprise the best players in the world.
It’s possible that a European ranked in the World top twenty will not be in the team and Francesco Molinari McGowan and Jimenez will be in.
How daft is that?