The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Knox sweats it out in great cup guessing game
Golf: Pieters triumphs in Denmark but Scot feels he has done enough
Inverness player Russell Knox is hoping his recent victory on the PGA Tour proves more deserving of a European Ryder Cup wildcard pick than Thomas Pieters’ fine success inDenmark yesterday.
European team captain Darren Clarke is set to announce his three picks tomorrow.
Knox, meanwhile, will still be in New York after ending the Barclays championship with a one-underpar 70 for a four-over-par tally of 288 at Bethpage Park. Knox was clearly still affected by a virus he struggled with all weekend.
However, while the Scot looked run down, Knox remained confident he has shown Clarke enough with two victories in the European Ryder Cup 50-week qualifying period to warrant a Hazeltine pick.
“This bug I’ve had all week and the heat has really sucked allmy energy as I was starting to hack it around out there,” he said. “But then standing here now I really don’t know if I’m going to get a pick or not.”
In fact, Knox ended his round with Pieters just a shot from the lead with a handful of holes to complete in the Made in Denm ar k event and it prompted him to ask: “Did Pieters win?”
Indeed, an hour after Knox ended his round Pieters holed a 4ft birdie putt, and a third birdie in succession, to shoot a closing 65 for a 17-under-par total of 267 to win by a shot from Bradley Dredge in Aalborg and also become the first Belgium- born player to capture three tour titles.
It was put to Knox that surely Clarke cannot select Pieters, who would also be a Ryder Cup rookie, given the Belgium teed- up in Denmark three spots lower on the qualifying world points table than Knox, who missed out on an automatic cup place by one place. It was also suggested to the Scot his win on the PGA Tour was against a world-class field and on a day Jim Furyk shot a 58.
“That’s right and I agree with that,” said Knox.
“So, I have that going for me, but then if Pieters won thenmaybeweshould both be on the team, I don’t know.
“It’s going to be interesting and, while I should be still asleep when the picks are announced, I know Darren will call me beforehand. I really hope it is the call I will be expecting.
“It will be really great for my career and also be an amazing experience to play in a Ryder Cup. I feel like I deserve to be in the team.
“If selected, I would bring to theEuropeanteam a strength in thatmy game is built on hitting a lot of fairwaysanda lot of greens. I can also hole long putts and make a lot of birdies, too.
“A massive plus for me is that I have got so used here in the States playing alongside guys like Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Rickie FowlerandotherAmerican players who will be on the US team.”
Indeed, Knox contested the opening two rounds of the Barclays alongside Spieth and the double major-winning Texan said: “It would be ridiculous if Darren didn’t pick Russell for a wildcard pick.”
But Clarke’s choices only got harder after Pieters’ win in Denmark.
Six years ago, Eduardo Molinari birdied the last three holes to win at Gleneagles and then European team captain Colin Montgomerie handed him a wildcard pick thus ensuring a record number of six rookies.
Clarke already has five rookies in his team and the big question now, and after selecting Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer as most observers agree, who gets the other pick – Knox or Pieters?
The answer to that question will be revealed at Wentworth tomorrow at 12.30pm.