Massive Monty Migraine Looms!

What did he say back in June about Ryder Cup Captain's pick possibles?

‘I’ll be very surprised if I pick any player on the border of the team whom I ask to play at Gleneagles and they don’t show up,’ he said. ‘I expect there will be about eight
 candidates for my three wild cards and it should be a given that they turn up at the final event.’

Two Englishmen--Paul Casey and Justin Rose--have passed up the event, as will Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald, all on the outside looking in from Ridgewood and the FedEx Cup.

So after Peter Hanson's win and the headache Monty says he's glad to have, the Swede has not only bumped Casey but also Miguel Angel Jimenez, who has now added the Gleneagles event in favor of a family function to get back on the team.  Scottish Open champion Edoardo Molinari is also playing and needs a good week to make the team on points.

As John Huggan notes, a British Isles/IMG bias may ultimately win out. But it will be Monty's statement in June that ultimately causes this weeks' headaches.

Comments

[Hawkeye]

I think there's only one certain pick - Molinari. He's on form, and we know what a formidable partnership he would form with his brother. I say Harrington's a lock too - those crazy eyes when he's in the hunt reveal what a competitor he is. Out of the remaining three Englishmen, Casey seems the logical pick. Rose and Donald are simply frustraitingly meek.

[Scott]

I doubt Monty will have the nads to pick a non-Brit. Quiros and Molinari are naturals but the Brits only seem to trust their own kind. I guess this is what happens when "Team Europe" holds every single Ryder Cup in GB&I except one--and that was in British expat central.

[Hawkeye]

Scott, the Brits love the continental players; Seve is virtually knighted, and Ollie and Langer are far more respected than Faldo and Lyle. Sure, the Cup keeps going to the British Isles, but they've been to Spain and I believe Germany is due in 2018.

[chico]

Dont waste your breath Hawkeye.
Scott spouts his anti-British bile without ever a hint of engaging his brain.2018 and 2022 will both be on the continent I believe.
But why let the truth get in the awy of a good story.

[d.b.cooper]

Leave out Donald.

[Dexter Morgan]

Unfortunately, such is the self-absorption of today's players, that Casey, Donald, Harrington and Rose probably wouldn't care if they were left out of the Ryder Cup team.

[Scott]

So it will take "Team Europe" 37 years to get to the continent, not including the 1997 mess that catered primarily to British expats, not Spaniards. Way to make my point Chico!

As for 2022 no one knows what's going to happen, not even you Chico, but my guess is it goes right back to the Belfry. Sweden deserves the event but will probably have to wait unto 2180 or so. The British still see this as *their* show and will not relinquish control because they want to be nice to their fellow Europeans.

[chico]

Scotty Boy-I spend a fair proportion of my working year wotking for the PGA and the European Tour.
Trust me - the 2022 march will not be in the UK.

[chico]

Ok - make that match.!

[lusakajoe]

I'm sure Harrington, Casey, Donald and Rose all want to play, they just want to make their money out of FedEx cup as well. They all hoped that say 2 of the four would have qualified direct and that Monty would have given two of his picks to the two that didn't. Kaymer and McDowell wining majors to grab two of the world spots wasn't in the plan.

If Monty sticks with 'I want my players to play Celtic Manor and Gleneagles', he should pick Molinari, and Donald (3rd in Wales Open), plus one other (Harrington on reputation, Casey on match play proven ability, Rose on recent wins). My prediction is that he'll pick Harrington Casey and Molinari.

[reality]

Huggan complaining about bias? Now that's hypocrisy at it's finest. His disdain for Monty alone, should disqualify him from writing about the Ryder Cup. In fact, his disdain for professional golfers in general should limit his golf writing to the Scottish boys teams......wait ... he hates the people who run the teams. Nevermind.

[chico]

Beautiful reality!
I agree with quite a lot of what Huggan says - but crikey he doesn't half have a lot of 'chips'-too many for just his shoulders!

[Dom O'Byrne]

Ed Molinari will make the EU Ryder Cup team on the strength of his putting, although he's not currently listed in the favourites, and brother Francesco is arguably a better all-rounder. Monty knows this. He's also too much the pragmatist to let Little Englander politics get in the way of his own stab at immortality. Also worth noting, that as a Scot, any favouritism based on nationality wouldn't necessarily put the likes of Poulter, Casey & co. necessarily above any Epropean.

[Cillian]

If you're going to pick someone purely based on the strength of their putting, why not Rhys Davies?

Incredible putter, arguably the best on the European Tour, and a Welsh representative would go down very well with the crowds.