Garcia among Europe’s selections for Ryder Cup team

Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson

and Paul Casey were selected Wednesday as Europe's wild cards for the Ryder Cup, with captain Thomas Bjorn opting for experienced players to balance a team already containing five rookies.

The four picks have made 20 Ryder Cup appearances among them, and each has won at least 50 percent of their matches in golf's biggest team competition.

“You need people like that,” Bjorn said, “who have been there and done it, positively and negatively.”

Garcia, who will be making his ninth appearance, was called up by Bjorn despite a slump in form since winning the Masters last year for his first major title. He has only one top-10 finish since March but it came in the French Open at Le Golf National in Paris, where the Ryder Cup will take place from Sept. 28-30.

The eight automatic qualifiers were Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Thorbjorn Olesen, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Alex Noren.

Five of them — Olesen, Rahm, Hatton, Fleetwood and Noren — are Ryder Cup rookies, and Bjorn was aware of the problems his predecessor as captain,

Darren Clarke, encountered with six first-timers in his 2016 team. In other golf news:

• Cole Hammer, a freshman at the University of Texas who is from Houston, shot a 1-under 71 as the United States team finished in a tie for 19th place after the first round of World Amateur team championship at Dublin, Ireland.

The U.S. team total was 4-under 140 as Justin

Suh’s 68 was the other score making up the twoman total. Denmark leads at 12-under.