Ryder Cup wild cards. who would you pick?

slumped · 31-08-2008 5:18pm

Atari Jaguar

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Officially Faldo's picks are

Ian Poulter

and Paul Casey

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madds · 31-08-2008 5:18pm

Monty

Poulter and Casey. Gutted. Can't believe it.

copacetic · 31-08-2008 5:18pm

Other (Please Name)

****ing hell, I don't believe it. poulter and casey.

Trampas · 31-08-2008 5:19pm

Monty

Disgraceful.

poulty must have know

irishtoffee · 31-08-2008 5:19pm

Monty

Well good luck to the team.Casey and poulter.

slumped · 31-08-2008 5:20pm

Atari Jaguar

So, so wrong.

irishtoffee · 31-08-2008 5:21pm

Monty

Why?

Trampas · 31-08-2008 5:23pm

Monty

Don't believe it that he didn't tell Poulter.

copacetic · 31-08-2008 5:23pm

Other (Please Name)

It's a shameful decision imo, picking two players who didn't bother to try and qualify by right when the could easily have done it. He has just picked the english players that he knows better and likes. I've no doubt he did tell them they were in before hand.

Faldo has left a sour taste in my mouth for the ryder cup to be honest.

WHIP IT! · 31-08-2008 5:27pm

Other (Please Name)

I'll have little enthusiasm for watching the Ryder Cup now. Bad picks. Not so much Casey, but Poulter is not of the same level as Clarke and McGinley knows how to play under pressure.

I'd have had Clarke or McGinley before Poulter every day of the week.

I think America will win. Faldo will have damaged morale by quite blatantly tipping two players in advance that they have been picked.

copacetic · 31-08-2008 5:29pm

Other (Please Name)

good to see the press giving him a bit of a hammering. There was a stunned silence when he announced his picks.

Good question from last guy, to paraphase 'You said you would pick winners and form players, how can you not pick Darren when he has won twice this year and pick 2 players who haven't won all year, with Poluter not scoring lower than a 67 since January'

Faldo had no reply.

Same when asked, 'What more could Darren Clarke have possibly done to get a pick'

CHD · 31-08-2008 5:35pm

Monty

English people :rolleyes:

copacetic · 31-08-2008 5:38pm

Other (Please Name)

CHD wrote: »

English people :rolleyes:

not sure I get that, all the press who are currently hammering him are English?

WHIP IT! · 31-08-2008 5:41pm

Other (Please Name)

This is just Faldo at his pompous best... You pick players who are in form and playing well under pressure.

Kaymer has had a good year but he's fallen away at the business end of the season - hence you don't pick him. Clarke has won at a time when he really needed to - he shoudl've been a cast-iron certainty.

McGinley had got his game together at just the right time too. He's always had a habit of playing well when he has too.

Casey and Poulter have had quiet years - they're the two luckiest men in Europe today, that's for sure.

mccutchie · 31-08-2008 5:47pm

WHIP IT! wrote: »

This is just Faldo at his pompous best... You pick players who are in form and playing well under pressure.

Kaymer has had a good year but he's fallen away at the business end of the season - hence you don't pick him. Clarke has won at a time when he really needed to - he shoudl've been a cast-iron certainty.

McGinley had got his game together at just the right time too. He's always had a habit of playing well when he has too.

Casey and Poulter have had quiet years - they're the two luckiest men in Europe today, that's for sure.

I cannot believe he picked poulter, a shambolic decision. What has he ever done bar being all mouth and flash clothes.

Clarke must be gutted, he is a far superior player, with a ryder cup record to match. I'm stunned to be honest and disappointed with faldo.

Henry Ford III · 31-08-2008 5:47pm

Darren Clarke

Bizzare selection. Casey is fine but Poulter over Clarke? Darren should have played himself in having said that.

Collie D · 31-08-2008 5:48pm

Monty

Poulter on Sky Sports now. Is it possible for that man to open his mouth without you wanting to punch him? Such an arrogant twat. Can't see him as a team player to be honest.

MisterAnarchy · 31-08-2008 5:53pm

Ever since Faldo was announced as captain I've had my doubts.
He is far too arrogant and smarmy to be a captain.
He is so full of himself and always trying to be the centre of attention that he will make unpopular decisions just for attention.
Ridiculous choices .

Henry Ford III · 31-08-2008 5:57pm

Darren Clarke

Says more than words....

Marshy · 31-08-2008 6:12pm

Monty

Well as much as I thought Darren should've been picked, Harrington himself said that if you don't qualify for the team outright, you can't have any arguments if you're not chosen. Excluding Donald, Poulter and Casey are the highest ranked Europeans in the World Rankings. Ok that doesn't mean everything but its unfair to say they have no claim to a place. Some might say that Clarke deserved a place, me included, because of his form and record but it was a very close call between the 3 (and possibly others) that was bound to leave someone dissappointed.

And I think its probably best if people keep their personal grudges against Poulter and anti-Brit sentiment aside when they post on this topic. I mean obviously some biases may come into a decision, like Faldo's, but thats only natural. Some people on this thread said Clarke and McGinley should be picked. That would no doubt be very unpopular in other quarters.

Collie D · 31-08-2008 6:16pm

Monty

Marshy wrote: »

And I think its probably best if people keep their personal grudges against Poulter and anti-Brit sentiment aside when they post on this topic.

My dislike of Poulter has nothing to do with his nationality. I juts think that he is nowhere near as good a player as he seems to think he is. World Number Two :rolleyes:

copacetic · 31-08-2008 6:27pm

Other (Please Name)

Ewen Murray on Sky sports news.

'Poulter 2 top tens all year', 'Darren, 7 top 10s and two wins' 'How the name Ian Poulter cam out I just can't understand' 'I could understand Fisher and Dougherty being ahead of Clarke and Montgomerie, but Ian Poulter fresh off two missed cuts is totally unbelievable' 'I think without any question at all that Poulter knew he would be picked, last week and thats why he didn't travel'

ziggy · 31-08-2008 6:27pm

Darren Clarke

This post has been deleted.

Marshy · 31-08-2008 6:35pm

Monty

copacetic wrote: »

Ewen Murray on Sky sports news.

'Poulter 2 top tens all year', 'Darren, 7 top 10s and two wins' 'How the name Ian Poulter cam out I just can't understand' 'I could understand Fisher and Dougherty being ahead of Clarke and Montgomerie, but Ian Poulter fresh off two missed cuts is totally unbelievable' 'I think without any question at all that Poulter knew he would be picked, last week and thats why he didn't travel'

Controversial comments from Murray there, no doubt bitter his man wasn't picked. He's putting a good spin on the situation there now tbh. The truth is Poulter is just one spot behind Clarke in the Order of Merit and came very close to a major victory at Birkdale last month so it unfair in my mind to say he's that far, if any, behind Clarke.

A.Partridge · 31-08-2008 6:42pm

Monty

Personally I think good luck to Poulter and Casey they are two good players.

I feel sorry for Darren Clarke as I feel that he did a lot to deserve inclusion to the side.

What really gets me about Faldo is his insistance that he now won't appoint another vice-captain... obviously to further piss-off McGinley, Monty etc

This could be a real mistake as it wil be very difficult for both Olazabel and himself to get around all of the matches.

What do others think?

Mister Sifter · 31-08-2008 7:13pm

Really surprising and quite disappointing picks to be honest. Monty didn't deserve it, but i think we'll miss his presence there. I'd like to have seen him given some role in the backroom staff. Then again, i doubt if he would have taken it.

The picks really just confirm to me the fact that Faldo is unlikable. For that reason, combined with his two picks today and the fact there are no Scottish players in it, i think i'm looking forward to this Ryder Cup less than any i can remember.

Hopefully that will change as it gets closer though.

Zaph · 31-08-2008 7:13pm

From the BBC website

Darren Clarke wrote:

"Nick rang me after my last round at Gleneagles to say that I wasn't going to be one of his picks and I simply wished him all the best,"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/7590864.stm

So if Clarke knew last week he wasn't going to be picked, then obviously Casey and Poulter knew they were, which is why they skipped trying to qualify automatically this week. Poulter is a good player, but Clarke's form is better right now and I'd rather have a form player in the team than one higher in any ranking table.

I agree about the vice-captain too, Faldo should swallow his ego and appoint someone else. Probably not McGinley, bridges have no doubt been burned there, but it would be good practice for Monty for when he inevitably gets a crack at the captaincy.

copacetic · 31-08-2008 7:16pm

Other (Please Name)

Zaph wrote: »

From the BBC website

So if Clarke knew last week he wasn't going to be picked, then obviously Casey and Poulter knew they were, which is why they skipped trying to qualify automatically this week. Poulter is a good player, but Clarke's form is better right now and I'd rather have a form player in the team than one higher in any ranking table.

I agree about the vice-captain too, Faldo should swallow his ego and appoint someone else. Probably not McGinley, bridges have no doubt been burned there, but it would be good practice for Monty for when he inevitably gets a crack at the captaincy.

mmm, clarke meant today zaph. gleneagles only finished 3 hours ago.

interesting quote from the article from Azinger though:

"I thought it was between Casey and Poulter. I thought Clarke was a lock," Azinger said. "But the guys he picked are really good. His dilemma is a nice one to have.

PhilipMarlowe · 31-08-2008 7:20pm

Monty

Clarkes last round at gleneagles was today by the way, not last week...

It's hard to argue particularly against the two picks but I have to say that Faldo is a really un-likable smarmy ****. I am a Poulter fan to some extent and I like Casey too but to harp on about picking based on form and overlook Clarke was pure transparent bull****. Roll on the next ryder cup in celtic manor... maybe monty as captain???

K4t · 31-08-2008 7:35pm

Ross Fisher

Poulter has more shanks in a season that the average club golfer :rolleyes:

and doesn't have the same experience or as good as record as Clarke or Monty in the ryder cup.

I think Monty or Clarke should Definitely have been picked instead of Poulter. It's ridiculous tbh. Can't argue with Casey though as he's a quality player.

K4t · 31-08-2008 7:36pm

Ross Fisher

Today won't do much for Faldo's relationship with Monty. I'm hoping for a classic Monty interview soon :pac:

Har44 · 31-08-2008 7:44pm

I think that whereas people may or may not agree with his picks, I don't think there was any surprise and this certainly has not been handled as professionally as other years. I spend a lot of time on phone to guys in US during work, and they now believe (i presume thru media cuttings) that unlike other years the European team will not have the key advantage of team spirit over the Americans simply because of the manager. I'm not sure if there is anything out there at the moment to suggest this is true or it is just spin but it might be interesting one to watch.

Zaph · 31-08-2008 7:50pm

copacetic wrote: »

mmm, clarke meant today zaph. gleneagles only finished 3 hours ago.

Doh! Losing track of who's playing where these days.

slumped · 31-08-2008 8:29pm

Atari Jaguar

It's a few hours since the news broke and I've still not calmed down

It appears to me that Faldo is a self righteous, pompous, arrogant Englishman with a thing about the Irish.

Since McGinley resigned his position as VC

- Faldo ignored the Irish players for Seve Trophy despite the team being a GB&I one being played at an Irish venue.

- Faldo is so full of himself that he now says that he learned all he needed to at the Seve trophy, despite being criticised for not picking an Irish player for the team and now does not need another VC

- Ollie had as much input into choosing the wild cards as we had

- Faldo chose two Englishmen to show the power of the English game

- DC has won twice this year and has outperformed Poulter

This is typical Faldo.

I remember as a kid being at Portmarnock and I asked him for an autograph - he just walked on by - no reason or acknowledgment - first impressions are lasting ones.

Still mad!!!!!!!

S

K4t · 31-08-2008 8:33pm

Ross Fisher

I'd agree with all of that Slumped ^.

He seemed quite arrogant on the tv today and indeed quite pompous too. Poulter should not be on that team instead of Darren Clarke and Monty. It's just plain wrong.

copacetic · 31-08-2008 8:37pm

Other (Please Name)

slumped wrote: »

It's a few hours since the news broke and I've still not calmed down

It appears to me that Faldo is a self righteous, pompous, arrogant Englishman with a thing about the Irish.

Since McGinley resigned his position as VC

- Faldo ignored the Irish players for Seve Trophy despite the team being a GB&I one being played at an Irish venue.

- Faldo is so full of himself that he now says that he learned all he needed to at the Seve trophy, despite being criticised for not picking an Irish player for the team and now does not need another VC

- Ollie had as much input into choosing the wild cards as we had

- Faldo chose two Englishmen to show the power of the English game

- DC has won twice this year and has outperformed Poulter

This is typical Faldo.

I remember as a kid being at Portmarnock and I asked him for an autograph - he just walked on by - no reason or acknowledgment - first impressions are lasting ones.

Still mad!!!!!!!

S

not sure I agree with this slumped, but was a little extra stunned when he said he hadn't bothered to call Paul today at all to let him know he hadn't made it.

irishash · 31-08-2008 8:37pm

just watched the vid on sky sports website.

Last question and answer was very interesting.

Question - did you speak to paul today ?

faldo - who? Paul McGinley? No, I did not.

So even though Paul entered every competition going to try and play himself in and showed some really good form, he did not even warrent a wild-card consideration. No phone call. Hell he even called Sorenson !!

Clarke not being there is an absolute disgrace to everything the ryder cup is about. He played so well in the closing stages of the season, and even before that - It's not easy to do that when he has to juggle being a single dad to 2 young boys and wanting to spend as much time with them as possible. Clarke on traveled to the US twice this year and skipped all the big tournements in the far east and saudi arabia.

Monty I dont think has the form at present to warrent a pick, but he deserved it over Poulter. Hell even casey has had a terrible year, and not won anything. Plus the americans hate him just as much as they did Monty back in the day !!

31-08-2008 8:40pm

Other (Please Name)

Shocking decisions tbh. Faldo is a complete ****.

The anti-irish feelings he supposedly has have come to the fore again.

Denis Irwin · 31-08-2008 8:45pm

Casey I agree with but to pick Poulter ahead of Clarke is a disgrace. Poulter must have known since last week otherwise why did he p*ss off to America to play in the Deutsch Bank rather than try and play his way into an automatic spot by playing in Gleneagles.

Sandwich · 31-08-2008 8:49pm

Monty

slumped wrote: »

- Faldo chose two Englishmen to show the power of the English game

Cant really complain about national bias - a lot of guys around here trying to make a case for McGinley. If you ran a similar poll to this on any forum outside Ireland I doubt (with all due respect to his fine contributions to the Ryder Cup in the past) you would get a single vote for McGinley - it probably wouldnt even occur to the pollster to put him on the list.

Clarke however is a different matter and Im rightly surprised at that one. There's a story behind it somewhere.

rednik · 31-08-2008 8:51pm

The wildcard rules have been changed several times as to make sure the players in form are the ones who get picked. It is still the captain's call. That is why I think Faldo is so wrong. But I am not surprised like most people are not with this man. Ewen Murray reckons that Faldo has a lot of explaining to do.

In an article a few years ago Faldo stated that in his six major wins he never had any luck which to me is complete bollox as anybody who has ever played links golf knows you get luck and you don't. This mans arrogance knows no bounds. I think everybody knew when he was announced as captain controversy would follow and it will. The papers during the week should make interesting reading.

Fair play to Monty as usual acting with dignity but I am sure when the tournament is over in three weeks time he will speak the truth. As for Darren he should have got a spot and I would have picked Casey myself. Neither he nor Poulter have had good seasons but Faldo talking about Poulter's finish in the Open shows how early he had picked him.

slumped · 31-08-2008 9:01pm

Atari Jaguar

Sandwich wrote: »

Cant really complain about national bias - a lot of guys around here trying to make a case for McGinley. If you ran a similar poll to this on any forum outside Ireland I doubt (with all due respect to his fine contributions to the Ryder Cup in the past) you would get a single vote for McGinley - it probably wouldnt even occur to the pollster to put him on the list.

Clarke however is a different matter and Im rightly surprised at that one. There's a story behind it somewhere.

I agree that McGinley did not deserve his place on the team - but Clarke is who I am referring to.

Still Mad :-(

Mister Sifter · 31-08-2008 9:15pm

Faldo should never have been given the job in the first place.

I wouldn't go as far to say as i want Europe to lose, but seeing Faldo humbled would be a tad satisfying.

Ian Carter writes very well on today's picks on the bbc website.

Sandwich · 31-08-2008 9:18pm

Monty

rednik wrote: »

In an article a few years ago Faldo stated that in his six major wins he never had any luck which to me is complete bollox

Thats for sure - didnt Ray Floyd dunk a shot into the pond in Augusta to hand him his first Masters?

Everyone who wins a major has luck doing so. We'd like to believe its all down to skill and that the best golf wins. As you say, b*****x to that.

However.........
Not quite so sure about his arrogance though. His personal skills are famously not not his strong suit - but he is still Europe's most successful golfer which does give him some grounds for authority, even if not put accross in the most diplomatic manner. I think we all agree he has made a mistake : but mistake due to arrogance I think is a link too far.

ziggy · 31-08-2008 9:20pm

Darren Clarke

This post has been deleted.

copacetic · 31-08-2008 9:26pm

Other (Please Name)

Lawrence Donegan in the Guardian:

In the eyes of many, not least the majority of players who gathered in Scotland for this week's Johnnie Walker Championship, Poulter has no right to be on the flight to Kentucky, not least because he decided against travelling to Scotland to attempt to qualify automatically for the team.

There was also the small matter of Darren Clarke, who won in the Netherlands eight days ago and then did make the trip to Scotland. Many thought the Irishman was guaranteed to be chosen last night, both for his individual talents and for the strength of the partnership he might have formed with his old friend, Lee Westwood.

"Form over experience," Faldo has said countless times when asked to rank selection criteria. Yet here he was, in the eyes of some observers, rejecting a man who won on both counts. What did he have to say for himself? Not much, as it turned out. "I have been watching these guys through the summer and Ian is obviously a very determined guy. I love his attitude and what he did at the British Open, er, I mean the Open championship [where Poulter finished second]," he said, sounding distinctly unconvincing.

copacetic · 31-08-2008 9:30pm

Other (Please Name)

Bob Harig on ESPN (interesting point on Poulter trying to confirm his place on pga tour)

Faldo undoubtedly will be second-guessed throughout Europe for leaving Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke off the team. The inspirational leader of the squad that hammered the Americans two years ago in Ireland -- just several weeks after the death of his wife -- made a compelling case for inclusion, with two European Tour titles this year, including one just a week ago in Holland.

Meanwhile, Poulter, 32, and Casey, 31 -- both of whom missed the cut this weekend at the Deutsche Bank Championship on the PGA Tour -- have yet to win a tournament this year anywhere in the world.

And it was Poulter's decision to play at the TPC Boston rather than the final European Tour qualifying event in Scotland that caused all the drama and surely will keep the focus on him in slightly more than two weeks at Valhalla.

Poulter agonized over whether to play at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles -- where a high finish in the European Tour event could have earned him a spot on the team -- or compete in the FedEx Cup playoff event.

His decision to play in the U.S. was at least partly done because he was in need of another tournament to fulfill his PGA Tour membership requirements. Poulter needed a decent finish in Boston to advance to the third playoff event -- the BMW Championship -- this coming week in St. Louis.

aarymark · 31-08-2008 9:30pm

Monty

if europe win the ryder cup it will be in spite of faldo not because of him

copacetic · 31-08-2008 9:43pm

Other (Please Name)

iain carter as mentioned by graeme on bbc.co.uk

Recent results, past Ryder Cup performances, the opinions of leading players in this team and a past captain, never mind the majority views on previous threads here, all pointed to a call up for Darren Clarke.

The Ulsterman is surely entitled to feel aggrieved. Without having the benefit of playing all the biggest events, Clarke has risen 200 places from 256 in the world off the back of two wins.

He has won 6 ½ points out of a possible eight in the last two matches and been on the winning side four times in five Ryder Cups.

Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell, who will all be in the European locker room at Valhalla, all expressed their support for Clarke.

So too did former captain Bernard Gallacher, who is shocked Faldo plumped for Poulter instead. "I think morale in the team could be a bit lower for picking Poulter ahead of Darren Clarke," Gallacher said.

In a poll of 32 players here at Gleneagles, Poulter received just one vote.

stockdam · 31-08-2008 9:44pm

Ross Fisher

slumped wrote: »

- Faldo chose two Englishmen to show the power of the English game

I think you are over-reacting. It really was only down to three players. McGinley was never really in the running and would have caused more of a stir than either Casey or Poulter. Monty hasn't been playing well enough.

Clarke should be kicking himself as he should have played himself into the team.........relying on a wild-card is far too risky.

Let's not imply it's anti-Irish as it clearly isn't.

Wild-cards are the captains pick and although some people don't agree I can see why he picked Poulter and Casey. The team would have been a much stronger team if Clarke had played himself into it.

I think Darren has had too many other things to deal with and maybe missing this year will make him determined to fight his way back.....let's hope he's partnering McIllroy.

Ryder Cup wild cards. who would you pick?

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