August 25, 2016: The automatic qualifiers for The 2016 Ryder Cup may have already been decided with a tournament to spare, but this week’s Made in Denmark offers those hoping to earn a captain’s pick one last chance in Europe to state their case to Darren Clarke.
With Matthew Fitzpatrick and Andy Sullivan now confirmed among the nine automatic spots for Hazeltine National, the pair head to Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort with the pressure now off their shoulders, but for those who just missed out, a strong showing could yet convince Captain Clarke to choose them as one of his three wildcards next Tuesday.
Martin Kaymer, who has been part of the last three victorious European Teams, makes his debut in Made in Denmark and will be hoping to build on the consistent form he has shown so far this season, with five top ten finishes already this term.
Kaymer famously secured the point which retained The Ryder Cup for Europe in the Miracle of Medinah four years ago, but he is simply trying to focus on immersing himself an event renowned by players as being one of the most enjoyable on The European Tour.
“At the end of the day, (to get) the pick is a bonus,” said Kaymer. “I could have done more to be on the team automatically, I didn’t, so I rely on that now, so I need to hope for the best and see what happens.
“The priority for this week is to enjoy the entire golf tournament because that is what the Danish people created here. It is a very fun but still serious golf tournament and hopefully I will give myself a chance on Sunday and see what Darren announces on Tuesday.”
In addition to Kaymer, who plays the first two rounds alongside vice captain Thomas Bjørn, there will also be a number of potential rookies all hoping to underline their Ryder Cup credentials at Himmerland, including Belgium’s Thomas Pieters, Ireland’s Shane Lowry and Denmark’s own Søren Kjeldsen.
Lowry and Kjeldsen will have another of Clarke’s vice captains, Paul Lawrie, for company on Thursday and Friday, while Pieters will be joined by the captain himself for the first two days in Denmark.
A Belgian rookie, Nicolas Colsaerts, made a memorable Ryder Cup debut in Medinah when the biennial contest was last played on American soil, and Pieters is hoping to follow in his footsteps after finishing runner up in his defence of the D+D Real Czech Masters last week on the back of fourth place in the Olympic Games.
“I thought last week I did a good job of blocking out thoughts of The Ryder Cup and hopefully I can stick to my game plan again this week,” said Pieters. “Last year I played with Darren at the KLM Open and that worked out pretty nice. It won’t change anything for me, I’ll go out there and have fun.
“The Ryder Cup team is a goal of mine, if not this time then in two years, and if I make it I will be over the moon.”
Lowry, who was joint runner up at the US Open in June and tasted success on American soil in last year’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, is clear about what he needs to do this week.
“I just need to play well,” said Lowry. “Things haven’t gone as planned the last six weeks or so, but if I can play well this week and give myself a chance to win on Sunday I will have half a chance of getting a pick. It’s going to be up to what Darren thinks himself but I think I tick a lot of boxes for him, so if I play well this week I might have a chance.
“I’ve played well in America, so while I would be a rookie, I’ve won a massive tournament over there (WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and I probably should have won the US Open, so I feel like I tick a lot of boxes and I think I would be a good addition to the team.”
Meanwhile, Kjeldsen will undoubtedly have the home support cheering him on in his quest to earn a pick, and in his blog on europeantour.com, the Dane admitted he would be doing his best to impress Captain Clarke.
“I always try to impress Darren anyway, but I would love to play well this week and I will be determined to do that,” he said. “I’m trying not to think too much about The Ryder Cup though. I can’t guarantee a spot now, so I’m dependent on Darren picking me. The only way I have a chance for him to do that is by playing extremely well this week and all my energy and effort is going to go into doing that. I’d love to make the team. I think I’m an outside bet, but if I can play well this week, who knows?”
With several players competing in The Barclays also coming into consideration, it is set to be a fascinating finale to the Ryder Cup race, despite the nine qualifiers already being determined.
Ultimately the final decision will rest with Clarke, who announces his three choices at 12.30pm BST on Tuesday,
“Now, I think, is the toughest part of my job as Ryder Cup Captain,” said Clarke. “Over the coming days I have to decide on those three picks. I’ve got my own thoughts, but there is still a lot to play for. There are guys playing here this week who I’m considering and guys playing in The Barclays who I’m considering. I’ll be paying very close attention to what happens in both. There is a huge amount of interest in our three remaining wildcards and whoever they are, they will be three fantastic additions to the nine guys we already have.”
European Tour Release
