OLIVER IS PROOF OF HOW TOUGH GOLF IS
IT is now 10 years since Oliver Wilson enjoyed his one and only Ryder Cup appearance. While that remains the high point of his career, he can only watch and admire as five of his teammates from that match at Valhalla are still going strong.
Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey have won Majors, countless big tournaments and become European Ryder Cup stalwarts in the last 10 years. Wilson, who has been at Le Golf National walking the fairways for BBC Radio, is now playing on the Challenge Tour, so he knows how fickle the sport can be. The Englishman hoped playing under Sir Nick Faldo in 2008 was going to be the first of many Ryder Cups, but it has not turned out that way.
It is underlined by the fact that none of Europe’s last 10 rookies, across the last three Ryder Cups, have yet made it back to play in a second match.
“That feels so long ago,” Wilson recalls. “It has been an inconsistent 10 years forme.therehave been a few amazing ups and a lot of downs.
“Being here this week is great. Doing the commentary and being inside the ropes, feeling some of that energy is fantastic.
“It’s impressive that so many are still in the team. It goes to show how good they are.
“All of those five have not really dropped off. They have been pretty consistent at the top of world golf and it is hard to do that. “Once someone makes the team, you expect them to keep playing well and keep making the team. “That is when you realise golf is hard. There are not many people who can play at that high level for that long.”