CHANGE THE SYSTEM
Sergio Garcia would be in Europe’s Ryder Cup top 10 if a simple switch to the qualifying system was made.
Sergio Garcia, seventh in the world, and Open runner-up Ian Poulter would be in Europe’s Ryder Cup top 10 if a simple switch to the qualifying system had been made.
Both are in need of a wild card as things stand because only five automatic selections come off a world points list and the next five off European Tour earnings.
The 10 who are in at the moment are Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Graeme McDowell, Soren Hansen, Oliver Wilson, Martin Kaymer and Justin Rose.
If the European list took preference the 10 would be Westwood, Karlsson, Jimenez, McDowell, Harrington, Stenson, Garcia, Poulter, Rose and Kaymer.
The qualifying race still has more than a month to run, but captain Nick Faldo has only two wild cards and at the moment Garcia, Poulter, Paul Casey, Colin Montgomerie and Luke Donald – currently out injured – are among those requiring a pick.
Who among these five would you leave out, bearing in mind their current form and their proven abilities as Ryder Cup players?
It’s not an easy one, though Luke Donald’s on-going wrist injury might be a good reason to rule him out for starters.
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