The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
European team looks pretty well balanced
Maybe the fairest way for the Ryder Cup teams to be put together would be to do away with the captain’s picks. But where would the fun be in that! It’s amazing how there always manages to be a bit of drama and controversy about it. This year was certainly no different. As far as the Russell Knox or Thomas Pieters debate is concerned, the way I see it, you could have made an equally convincing case for both. So I’m not going to criticise Darren Clarke for leaving Knox out.
The other two picks – Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer – were a given really.
I don’t buy into the argument that Knox has a higher world ranking so he should be in the team above the other three contenders.
People tend to dismiss experience but in events like the Ryder Cup it really does matter.
Just look at how guys like Westwood and Ian Poulter have turned it on in past Ryder Cups when they’ve been picks.
We’ve benefitted from it before as curlers as well. In our Ryder Cup – the Continental Cup – we’ve been picked ahead of other teams on the back of our performances in previous events.
When you look at Clarke’s team it has a pretty good balance of experience and form for me. And that’s all that matters. The fact that he ended up with a really hard choice to make between two guys who were at the top if their game is a really good sign.
We’ll wait and see if Davis Love III has the same dilemmas.
For the last couple of months a lot of people have been making America big favourites, thinking that they’ve got home advantage, strength in depth, more experience and will be more motivated. Or even just because of the law of averages!
But all the pressure will be on them again and, with just a few weeks ago, I’m starting to get more confident that it could be another win for Europe.
Summer of change
Our season gets under way next week. We’re flying out to Canada on Sunday and will be over there for a fortnight before heading to Sweden after that.
It was important that we had a good few weeks on the ice at home and that’s what we’ve had.
There are two new faces in the team, and both Kelly and Lauren have fitted in nicely.
It’s been a big summer of change on and off the ice, and our new tactical coach Glenn Howard flew over to Scotland for a few important days with us last month.
There was a lot of discussion about our stats from last season. We’ve definitely taken a lot from it.
Glenn will be playing while we’re in Canada but we’re doing more video analysis than ever before so he’ll be kept in the loop all the time, then he’ll join us in Stockholm.
There haven’t been many changes in the teams who will be our main rivals again this season.
Jennifer Jones has had a baby but, knowing Jennifer, she’ll be back on the ice and competing in no time.
By the time she comes back hopefully we’ll be the team they’re all looking to beat.
People tend to dismiss experience but in events like the RyderCupit really does matter