Shame Carl has no ticket to Ryder

ASKED to name the Swede who has won as many US Tour events as Luke Donald but has never got near to playing in the Ryder Cup and your average golf fan would probably be stumped.

On Sunday at the Heritage tournament in South Carolina, the woefully underrated Carl Pettersson (right) showed once more he knows what to do when he has his nose in front, winning by five shots from former masters champion Zach Johnson.

The only europeans to have won more in america than the 34- year- old are Sir nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Jose maria Olazabal, Sergio garcia and Seve Ballesteros.

That’s the very best of company to keep and yet, as things stand, there’s no chance of him playing for europe in this year’s match in Chicago since he’s not a member of the european Tour.

given that Pettersson hasn’t played in a regular tour event for six years, those who believe the european team should be made up of players with an inherent loyalty to their home circuit will feel his absence is no great loss. The fact he recently took out american citizenship might also be grounds.

But if you cling to the idea it should simply be the best team taking on the americans, Pettersson’s form this year — he’s had two runner-up finishes already as well as that win — makes for uncomfortable reading and might grow to be as big as he is come august.