Captain Harrington’s Ryder picks: Garcia, Lowry and Poulter

European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington had half the number of picks to make – three – compared to U. S. captain Steve Stricker but that didn’t make the decision- making process any easier in filling out his roster for the 43rd Ryder Cup starting Sept. 24 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

Harrington opted to go with veteran Ryder Cup stalwarts in Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter and rookie Shane Lowry.

On the final day of qualifying, Bernd Wiesberger and Lee Westwood squeaked on to the team as the final of nine automatic qualifying spots.

Harrington had previously said that Garcia and Poulter were virtual locks. That left one spot for either Lowry or a third veteran in England’s Justin Rose, 41, who went 2- 2 in 2018 and had an overall record of 13- 8- 2 in his five previous Cup appearances.

Lowry, the 34- year- old Irishman, won the 2019 British Open to stake his claim to his Ryder Cup debut for Team Europe. He’ll be one of three rookies on the European side.

“Nobody thinks of him as a rookie,” Harrington said.

“I thought I did enough before this week to make the team,” said Lowry, who was in the players lounge when Harrington called him into “the principal’s office,” and received the good word. “I’m just incredibly happy, incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved.”

Garcia, 41, didn’t play the BMW PGA Championship after competing in the FedExCup playoffs. A veteran of nine Ryder Cups, the Spaniard went 3- 1 at the 2018 Ryder Cup to become Europe’s alltime leading points scorer with 25.5 points ( 22- 12- 7).

“This is something that he was made for,” Harrington said of Garcia’s Ryder Cup record. “He’s a very rounded player and there’s not a player on the team that doesn’t want to play with him.”

Poulter, 45, is set to compete in his seventh Ryder Cup. Nicknamed “The Postman” because he always delivers on Sunday – undefeated in six singles matches ( 5- 0- 1) – the Englishman went 2- 2 in 2018 and owns an impressive lifetime mark of 14- 6- 2.

“He brings an unbelievable passion to the team room. He lifts himself, he lifts his partner, he lifts the team,” Harrington said. “I’m not just getting a player like Ian Poulter who delivers but I’m getting a player who is in form, great form, probably the best form of his life and I’m looking forward to having him there and bringing that passion and heart to the team.”