Ryder Cup: Harrington goes for experience

The final round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth saw the nine Ryder Cup players automatically qualify for Team Europe through both the European and World Team points lists.

Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger qualified through ‘normal time’, which was the only change in this final double points round of qualification.

The three picks by captain Padraig Harrington announced on Sunday night were Sergio Garcia, Shane Lowry and Ian Poulter.

In all honesty, none of these were surprises with the skipper going for Ryder Cup experience in both Garcia and Poulter as well as ‘rookie’ Lowry.

The unluckiest player to be overlooked must be Justin Rose, who battled hard to a tied-sixth place this week, but it seems this could not change Harrington’s mind.

Tough job

What a tough job it was for Harrington. But now — at last — the two teams of 12 players each from both Europe and the US are all confirmed with the match being played Friday September 24 to Sunday September 26 at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin.

I will not see any of my players now until after the Ryder Cup: Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Brooks Koepka (who is on the home side) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (looked after by my coaching buddy Mike Walker).

Mike will be going with Team Europe to the US, and it already seems strange that I will be not be there. Good luck to both teams, we cannot wait for the week to start.

The unluckiest player to be overlooked must be Justin Rose, who battled hard to a tied-sixth place this week.