SOAR POINT
Westwood backs the new ‘bonus’ Ryder Cup system .. even though it may cost him shot at 11th appearance
LEE WESTWOOD is backing Padraig Harrington’s shake-up of Europe’s Ryder Cup qualifying system – despite the fact that it could cost him a fairytale recall at Whistling Straits.
Westwood, who will be 48 when the contest takes place in September, was among the automatic qualifiers when the process was frozen last
March. But from the European Tour’s restart tomorrow, when Westwood will defend the Abu Dhabi Championship, all points earned will count extra after a request from Europe’s captain.
“Padraig has taken the decision to change the points system. It’s more like a bonus system – the closer you get to the Ryder Cup the more points you play for,” said Westwood.
“There are people who won a few points before it was halted last year but it makes complete sense that you have players there who are on form. You want your strongest and best team, a team on form, when you play the Americans.
“We’re playing for a lot of points these first few weeks but, as the year goes on, they double. So you need to play consistently well throughout the year.”
Points accrued from events up until May 9 will be multiplied by 1.5, with all points earned from the British Masters through to the final qualifying event, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in September, multiplied by two.
The nine players filling the automatic qualification spots at present are Westwood, Rory Mcilroy, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Danny Willett, Matt Fitzpatrick, Bernd Wiesberger and France’s Victor Perez.
Harrington (right)
has
three wild-cards at his disposal but, with Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey, Francesco Molinari, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and world No.14 Viktor Hovland, all looking in from the outside, there are a lot of noses pressed against the window.
“The team is still in its infancy when you look at how weighted the points system is. I know I’m in the team at the moment,” said Westwood, who is set to succeed Harrington as captain for Rome in 2023. “I’m sure come the final event there will be a good balance to the European team, as there always is. That’s what the captain’s picks are
there for. Padraig will use his to fill criteria that the players haven’t already filled.”
Open champion Shane Lowry, the winner in Abu Dhabi in 2019, is another hoping for a fast start to 2021 to gatecrash Harrington’s team. “What they’ve done with the points is great for anyone, like me, who is outside the team at the minute,” said Lowry. “I get the chance to make up points over the next eight months and I’m happy with that. Hopefully I make more than enough and have the season of my life. If I play as well as I know I can there’s no doubt I can make that
team.”