The European Team for Ryder Cup 2008 is:
*Padraig Harrington (Ire)
*Sergio Garcia (Spn)
*Lee Westwood (Eng)
*Henrik Stenson (Swe)
*Robert Karlsson (Swe)
*Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spn)
*Graeme McDowell (NI)
*Justin Rose (Eng)
*Soren Hansen (Den)
*Oliver Wilson (Eng)
*Paul Casey (Eng)
*Ian Poulter (Eng)
Tags: europe, Ryder Cup 2008
If i were Nick I would have taken my chances on Monty. historically even when he hasnt been in form entering the competition he has always pulled through and been the best play on both sides.
The only possible reasons Nick Faldo rather than Darren Clarke for choosing Ian Poulter are 1)that they are friends and 2) that Faldo wants to show his stubborn streak yet again.
I have nothing against Poulter but there are innumerable reasons why Clarke would have been the better choice.
I have an awful feeling that Europe will now be beaten and Nick Faldo will have to be prepared to take the blame.The US must be delighted.
Clarke should have gotten the nod no doubt about it. Faldo obviously wanted as many English names down as he could get. On experience alone he should have been in there before Poulter.
One reason the captain has picks is to ensure that the current hot players make the team. Neither Casey or Poulter can be regarded as being hot at the moment (missed cuts etc). Clarke is and should have made the team. As for Monty, Harrington said it all some time ago; until he’s beaten in the Ryder Cup singles he should make the team.
The trouble about Faldo is that he was never a team player and doesn’t really understand team dynamics.He will have already caused frustration in the squad as Lee Westwood is a very good friend of Darren’s and they play well together.Harrington also will be upset and irritated.The Celtic and Spanish temperaments are much better suited to these types of competition and in his desire to play as many Englshmen as possible (not even one Scot or Welshman)Faldo has chosen a weak team.However if they are beaten I am sure he will blame everyone except himself.
no point in showing sour grapes. it looks a strong team and let’s all get behind them
As Monty’s biggest fan ever I am very biased but I feel the European team will not be half as good without him! Also as an Irishwoman I believe Darren Clarke is a far superior golfer than that arrogant idiot Poulter!!
Not including Darren Clarke is shortsighted,when he is on there is no one better.
The team chemistry will not be there, you need a Montgomerie never beaten, not to mention Darren Clark playing extremely well at this time and a real team magnete with Harrrington who seems to be comming into his own!
Clark should be on the team, the man played brilliant lateley.
Faldo doesn’t really have any clue about what he is doing.
I still have faith in Faldo – this is a guy who doesn’t understand failure when it comes to golf – but I admit to wondering if his peculiar decisions are all part of some mystery brilliant plan. Apparently Oliver Wilson hasn’t even heard from him yet.
Matt,he may not understand failure but this is only in regard to his own play.In the Ryder Cup they have to be really united and play as a team and in that respect Faldo is utterly clueless
I cannot believe all the comments against Faldo, to say he did not pick on form players is wrong, Monty stirred up Pouter,and upset his play…..he who was runner up in the British Open. And he and Casey have been playing consistently well in the US.
Casey is a known good match player, and as for Monty, he would be a big disruption to the team, by trying to over play his part, and try to dictate to players, and I’m sure there would be undercurrents…….. Clarke, I agree was unfortunate not to be picked. But maybe he can travel as a reserve incase of injury, or Westwoods tonsilitis getting worse!
I agree with the above comments, Montgomery would be a nightmare, and the way he has been playing is abysmal.
Nick Faldo may have been a loner when he played, but that was his way of concentrating, and oh boy did it work ! 6 majors. Our best ever golfer. He knows how a Ryder cup is run and what works. Harmony is important in the team and all these scathing remarks do not help, do all these people who make these remarks know Nick Faldo? do they know Montgomery ? Did they read that he did not attend meetings in the Seve trophy match? and did they actually see where Montgomeries ball landed and was replaced in Indonesia? some of us did .. I rest my case.
pity about monty for sure but his game is gone and I believe he should not be there , a great player but i fear his time has come and gone, Polter, is not clarke, Darren should be there , look what he did at the K club and he is playing better than ever now!!! anyway Poulter will do fine , I hope..
I never said that Montgomery should have been picked.I fear that his day is over.However,by any measure that you want to use Darren Clarke would have been a much more sensible choice than Ian Poulter.I also feel that Faldo was an appalling choice as captain.His string of failed marriages and well documented rows with other players and officials are proof of his inability to work in a positive way with others.He has no idea of how to create a team ethos and I fear that however hard players like Harrington and Westwood try to compensate for his deficiencies the task will be too difficult.
I find it hard to believe that you can say those things about somebody, I presume you have never met. What have failed marriages to do with being captain of the Ryder Cup team? What are all these documented rows with other players and officials? Because he found that to concentrate and play his best golf he had to be non commutative during play does not make him a bad person. I think your remarks are an insult to Mr. Faldo. One thing for sure, you can not argue that he is Englands best golfer ever by winning 6 majors.
I feel very sad for you that you should want to write such bitter things about another person.
Faldo is a proven winner
Faldo may have been England’s most successful golfer but that doesn’t mean he would either be a good captain or player in Ryder Cup matches.Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world but he has been a very poor Ryder Cup player.
Faldo played in 11 Ryder Cups and won a record 25 points!
Clare, your knowledge of Nick Faldo is obviously very limited. His record in Ryder Cup is the best for England/Europe. and he has yet to act as captain in a match, so how can you say that he is not a good captain?
Faldo did win the Seve trophy as captain. in spite of Monys behaviour
gee whizz all a bit flustered arent we.. valid points made about poulter i just think clarke would have been a better choice . entitled to my opinion (it may be flawed) however I am sure Poulter is a decent chap and his flamboyance will be appreciated.
All a bit over the top arn’t they Tom, Lets just hope they do well and win. Faldo is a good man and will be doing his very best to get his team to their best shape for the match.
I am sure we will win us blokes can get wound up over sport i guess anyway are you irish?
Me? No I’m very English, but European in my Ryder Cup thoughts, Nick did not pick 10 of the players, it is sad that he had such a hard choice in the end, i see prs’s and con’s for both Poulter and Clarke, i think that Casey was a cert, just imagine if Luke Donald hadn’t been injured !!! So difficult, and always rows over picks, remember last time Woosnam nearly resigned because of the hoohaa. There are 12 great golfers in the team and possibly two irishmen who could so easily have been there. (Forget the scot… he twitters too much, and would not be a help to Faldo.
nick has always been the ‘the one man falso band’ and he has proved it this time. to pick someone that hasnt shot better than 68 in a few months is insane, just because he finished well in the british open. even i could do better ( and i play of two, and have shot 66 and 68 this season with absolutely no practice!!)
as for not having vice captains except olliee well you have said it all!! not that ollie is bad as he is a great champion but Nick wants to do it all himself! i can honestly see him in the club house drinking coffee when the team is out!
poor picks……….poor captain!!!!
he has reduced not only team but european morale to the lowest for years.
PS dont get me wrong, Faldo is a legend of the game and deserves (in some respect) to be captain and i do want europe to win regardless!!!
COME ON EUROPE!!!
Faldo only picked two of the team, and the choice must have been terrible for him to choose. The problem comes because there are so many qualifying tournaments in Europe, some with nothing like the standard of players as those in America, an some players play them all and gradually gather up the points. This is not anything against the lower end of the automatics in the team, but a fact, Then there are those who have never stopped trying to talk themselves into the team. A vert difficult job.
But I think all will be well the team has such a good nucleus of seasoned ryder cup players that all will be well,,,,,,,,,, Good luck to all.
P.S. a 68 and a 65 in a season is not enough for you to qualify for a pick, Zoiks, so don;t blame faldo for overlooking you!!!
What a lot of sense you talk Zoiks…in other words I agree with all you say!!
I am an Irish European and am very proud to be both but that is not why I back Clarke rather than Poulter.I will never agree that Faldo is a good choice as captain…even if Europe wins which I hope so,so much that they will. Most though I hope that the competition is played in a spirit of good sportsmanship…though i worry that the American spectators may make this difficult to achieve.