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August 2008 - Posts

• Fallout From New LPGA "English Only" Policy Continues

  Imagine what could have happened to Angel Cabrera if he belonged to a tour that required its players to speak English. A powerful Argentine who rose from an impoverished childhood, he won the U.S. Open last year at Oakmont by holding off Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. In the hours after the trophy presentation, Cabrera made his way through a maze of media interviews in Spanish with an interpreter at his side. Under a new LPGA Tour policy effective next year, Cabrera might have been suspended. Or, he might not have played at all if an official on that tour deemed he was ineffective in English. “You don’t have to speak English to play golf,” Cabrera said Thursday in Spanish, joining a chorus of male players perplexed by the LPGA Tour’s decision to be punish women golfers for not speaking English in pro-ams, trophy presentations and media interviews. K.J. Choi of South Korea recalled his rookie season on the PGA Tour in 2000, when his English was so limited that he often got lost going to the golf course because he couldn’t read street signs. He wasn’t comfortable enough to speak English for five years, despite constant study. Asked about the LPGA Tour’s policy, he shook his head. “It is a difficult situation,” Choi said in English. “It is good for them to help players learn English. When I learned English, I became a better player. But to suspend them? I don’t think so.” And if the PGA Tour had a policy like that in 2000? “I would have had to go home,” Choi said. Golfweek magazine first reported the LPGA Tour’s new English-only policy Monday, leaving the tour scrambling to explain and defend itself over the past several days as the issue has stayed on the forefront of public discussion. The LPGA Tour didn’t get this much attention when Annika Sorenstam said she was retiring. “We have been puzzled, if not surprised, by some of the reactions,” said deputy commissioner Libba Galloway, who previously was the LPGA’s top attorney. “We see this as a pro-international move.” Galloway said title sponsors offer individual endorsement deals to players— Sorenstam has a longtime deal with Kraft—and players who can’t interact in pro-ams or with sponsors because of limited English are hurting themselves financially. The LPGA Tour is still working on the policy, which will be delivered to players at the end of the year. She said its professional development group is consulting with outside experts, and the LPGA will administer the evaluation itself. Players won’t have to be fluent, rather what Galloway described as “effective.” “You have to interact effectively with your pro-am partners. You need to be able to do media interviews. And you need to give a winner’s acceptance speech in English,” she said. “They must speak at a level that effectively accomplishes those three things.” Strangely absent during this debate is LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens. According to Golfweek, Bivens held a meeting with only the South Koreans last week in Portland, which led some to believe they were being singled out. Galloway said Bivens was returning from the West Coast on Monday and Tuesday, and “I drew the long straw” to handle media inquiries. The LPGA Tour for the last three years has offered language training through a Rosetta Stone online program and has offered a cross-cultural program for its international players. But there has never been a mandate until now. “It’s not a sign that it’s not working,” Galloway said. “What we’re seeing is that a handful of players don’t speak to the level they need to be.” But if only a few players struggle with English, why develop a policy equipped with a penalty? “We’re not just looking at the LPGA as it is now,” Galloway said. “We’re looking at the future of the LPGA. As you well know, we have a large international membership. All indications are it’s not going to get smaller.” Se Ri Pak was the only South Korean on the LPGA Tour in 1998, when she inspired a nation with her victory in the U.S. Women’s Open. Now, there are 45 players from South Korea on tour—two of them won majors this year—and 121 international players representing 26 countries. International players have won 19 of 24 events this year—six by Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, seven by Asians. Most of them are capable in English, including LPGA champion Yani Tseng of Taiwan and U.S. Women’s Open champion InBee Park of South Korea. “We believe so much in what we’re doing,” Galloway said. “If we’re getting any criticism, it’s coming from outside the organization. It’s not coming from the players, and those are the people to whom it applies.” Padraig Harrington, who has won the last two majors, wondered if the LPGA Tour is taking on too much. Like others, he wants to know how much English a player is supposed to learn to be “effective.” “Surely if you can say, ‘Hello,’ that’s English. Is that good enough?” he said. “Who draws the line about how many words you’ve got to know in English? What if you have a person who genuinely struggles with learning a new language; they have a learning disability? That’s tough to ask somebody with a learning disability, who might have found golf as the saving grace in their life, to ask them to learn a different language or else you can’t play. “There’s a lot of different issues to that,” he said. “It’s a big step to actually put it out there.” Cabrera understands the importance of speaking English, and he realizes it only hurts him. He said he has a good relationship with Woods, but because of the language barrier, it always will be limited. What troubles the big Argentine is why language should affect performance inside the ropes. “I remember what (Roberto) de Vicenzo once said to me,” Cabrera said. “If you shoot under 70, everybody will understand you. If you don’t, they won’t want to talk to you, anyway.” A few months ago, Choi had finished a brief interview when a reporter tried to say, “Thank you” in Korean, but told him he forgot the word. Choi laughed and playfully shared this thought with his agent. “I taught him one word seven years ago and he still doesn’t remember,” he said. “And he expects me to learn his entire language?” Posted Aug 29 2008, 07:50 AM by Golf International with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Golf International, Padraig Harrington, Angel Cabrera, LPGA Tour, K.J. Choi, Se Ri Pak, Carolyn Bivens, LPGA "English" Rule, Libba Galloway, Rosetta Stone

• Gregory Havret Leads at Gleneagles

  Ryder Cup hopefuls Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie had encouraging opening rounds in the Johnnie Walker Championship on Thursday. Clarke shot a 1-under 72 and Montgomerie had a 74 on The Centenary Course at Gleneagles, where Frenchman Gregory Havret took the first-round lead with a 68. Nick Dougherty had a 73 to start a late bid to rise from 14th in the standings to the top 10 who qualify automatically. His round contained five birdies and five bogeys on the windy 7,320-yard course with unpredictable greens after recent rain. Two who could be ousted from the leading 10 on Sunday had mixed fortunes. Ninth-placed Soren Hansen shot a 2-under 71, while Oliver Wilson, 10th, had a 76. Justin Rose, eighth and at slight risk, shot 73. Martin Kaymer, 11th, also shot 76. Ross Fisher, 13th, recorded a 72 as the late battle for places on the team heated up. Ian Poulter, 12th, and Paul Casey, 16th, are playing in Boston this week, both also hoping for wild-card callups from captain Nick Faldo. Europe defends the Cup from Sept. 19-21 at Valhalla, outside Louisville, Kentucky. Clarke, who has five Ryder Cup appearances and is fresh off a victory in last week’s Dutch Open, said he almost convinced himself on Wednesday that he loved this course. “One under was a good score today with the wind and the soft greens,” said the Northern Irishman, who is 17th on the list. Lee Westwood, his old Cup partner, shot 72 and criticized the greens, saying officials should “rip them up and redo them all.” Montgomerie, who doubles as the chairman of the tournament, conceded there was a problem. “I think that some greens drain better than these, there’s no question,” he said. “So we’ll have to look into that at a future date.” Montgomerie, who has six wins and two ties in singles matches from his eight Cup appearances, probably needs to win this week to convince Faldo to pick him. He is 20th in the standings after a poor summer. “This was OK. One over is by no means out of this tournament,” said the 45-year-old Scot, who expects to be Ryder Cup captain when the event is played here in 2014. Havret, who won the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond last year, started at the 10th hole and made three birdies before dropping his only shot at No. 1. Then he birdied Nos. 4-6 and took a two-stroke lead over Christian Cevaer, Paul Broadhurst, Robert Rock and Gary Orr. Dougherty was a protege of Faldo when he was younger and badly wants to play on his team at Valhalla. Dougherty’s mother died this year and he has struggled with his form since. “I decided I’d do my best to make the team because she always wanted me to play the Ryder Cup,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to play in Nick’s team. I’m very tired but as long as I give it everything and leave everything out on the course this week, I’ll be satisfied.” Johnnie Walker Championship Scores 68 Gregory Havret (Fra) 70 Christian Cevaer (Fra), Robert Rock, Gary Orr, Paul Broadhurst 71 Martin Wiegele (Aut), Jose-Filipe Lima (Por), Anthony Wall, Soren Hansen (Den), Benoit Teilleria (Fra), Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Bradley Dredge 72 Juan Abbate (Arg), Patrik Sjoland (Swe), Ross Fisher, Darren Clarke, Gareth Paddison (Nzl), Lee S James, Jonathan Lomas, Emanuele Canonica (Ita), Lee Westwood 73 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Michael Campbell (Nzl), Peter Whiteford, Paul Waring, Nick Dougherty, Pelle Edberg (Swe), Simon Dyson, David Lynn, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), Johan Edfors (Swe), Justin Rose, Marc Warren, Ariel Canete (Arg), Mark Foster 74 Alvaro Velasco (Spa), Colin Montgomerie, Matthew Millar (Aus), Marcel Siem (Ger), Graeme Storm, Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Peter Hanson (Swe), Sion Bebb, Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Sam Osborne, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 75 Luis Claverie (Spa), Peter Lawrie, David Orr, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa), Magnus A Carlsson (Swe), Stephen Gray, Paul McKechnie, Pedro Linhart (Spa), Jamie Donaldson, Alejandro Canizares (Spa), Santiago Luna (Spa), Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa), Peter Fowler (Aus), Marcus Fraser (Aus), Garry Houston, Chris Wood, Anton Haig (Rsa), Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Peter Baker, David Howell, Scott Drummond, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Stuart Manley, Stephen Gallacher, Gary Murphy 76 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Oliver Wilson, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Rafael Echenique (Arg), Oliver Fisher, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Rory McIlroy, Iain Pyman, Sam Little, Steve Alker (Nzl), Greig Hutcheon, Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Robert Arnott, Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Lloyd Saltman, Sam Walker, Paul Lawrie, Paul McGinley, Barry Lane, Philip Golding 77 Mark Loftus, Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Benn Barham, Phillip Price, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (Spa), Julio Zapata (Arg), Daniel Vancsik (Arg), Lee Slattery, David Drysdale, Pablo Martin (Spa), Thomas Levet (Fra) 78 Damien McGrane, David Griffiths, Steven Mcewan, Peter Hedblom (Swe), Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den), Simon Wakefield, Michael Jonzon (Swe), Chapchai Nirat (Tha), Hennie Otto (Rsa), Steve Webster, Graeme McDowell, Jan Are Larsen (Nor), Carlos Rodiles (Spa), Mark Brown (USA), Tom Whitehouse, Phillip Archer, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Peter O'Malley (Aus) 79 Joakim Backstrom (Swe), Bryan Saltus (USA), Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), Henrik Nystrom (Swe), Joost Luiten (Ned), Simon Khan, Sam Cairns, David Dixon, Alastair Forsyth, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par), Florian Praegant (Aut) 80 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra), Shiv Kapur (Ind), Jason McCreadie, Per-Ulrik Johansson (Swe), Kyron Sullivan, Danny Willett, Carl Suneson (Spa), Sven Struver (Ger), Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 81 Mikael Lundberg (Swe), Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe), Miles Tunnicliff 82 Paolo Terreni (Ita), Robert Dinwiddie, Keir Mcnicoll, Andrew McLardy (Rsa), Mardan Mamat (Sin) 83 Craig Lee, Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Richard Finch, James Kamte (Rsa) Posted Aug 29 2008, 07:47 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Ryder Cup, Darren Clark, 2008, Nick Dougherty, Colin Maclaine, Johnnie Walker Championship, Gregory Havret

• Risky Ryder Cup Strategy From Ian Poulter

  Ian Poulter accepts he might have cost himself a Ryder Cup spot by playing in this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship instead of the Johnnie Walker Championship in Scotland. The 32-year-old has a burning desire to make his second appearance in the biennial team competition but, after lengthy vacillation, he eventually decided to remain on the PGA Tour. Poulter, just outside the automatic top-10 places in the European Ryder Cup points standings, is pinning his hopes on being one of captain Nick Faldo’s two wildcard picks for next month’s matches. “My decision to play here this week has been taken in many different ways,” the fashion-conscious Englishman told reporters on the eve of Friday’s opening round at the TPC Boston. “This was a personal decision to be here and a decision which really, after missing the cut last week, didn’t leave me many other options. “I need to try and play well this week so I can, one, play 15 events on the PGA Tour and, two, get into next week, which is very important, to try and get into the Tour Championship.” Poulter missed the cut in the opening event of the FedExCup playoffs and needs to perform well in Boston to have any chance of qualifying for the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship that follow. “I spent a couple of days thinking about whether I should go back to Gleneagles,” Poulter said, referring to the last points-counting event on the European Tour for the September 19-21 Ryder Cup. “At one stage, I had changed all six flights to fly back. I then slept on it and woke up at 4:00 in the morning and took another look, and I really felt like this was my best chance. “Was it the right decision? I’m not sure. You know, it might have been a mistake. But I’ve taken a personal decision, and I’m not there. I’m here and I have to stick by that.” The first 10 names on the European team will be decided on Sunday after the Johnnie Walker Championship before Faldo adds two picks. Although three of the automatic spots are still hanging in the balance, the leading contenders for wildcard selection are Poulter and fellow Britons Paul Casey, Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie. Clarke advanced his claims by winning last week’s Dutch Open on the same day that Casey finished joint seventh in the FedExCup’s Barclays Classic. Poulter, runner-up to Ireland’s Padraig Harrington at last month’s British Open, lost ground on his rivals by missing the cut at the Barclays but believes his 2008 record is superior. “I have to take confidence out of my second-place finish at the Open four tournaments ago,” said the world number 23, who made his only previous Ryder Cup appearance in 2004. “It’s not as if it was four months ago or 10 months ago. “If you look at my statistics over the last 12 months, I’m 70 points in the world rankings ahead of Paul Casey and Darren Clarke. I’ve played very well this season. “I want to make this Ryder Cup side. I want to play well these next two days so I am in Nick’s frame of mind to be a pick. I want to be a pick; I want to play.” Posted Aug 29 2008, 07:44 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Nick Faldo, Ryder Cup, Deutsche Bank Championship, 2008, Ian Poulter

• Tiger Woods Always a Factor, Even When Absent

  The injured Tiger Woods is a conspicuous absentee from this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship but his influence on the game weighs heavily on the mind of title-holder Phil Mickelson. The American left-hander treasures memories of his two-shot victory over Woods at last year’s tournament and on Thursday he paid tribute to the world number one’s role in golf. “I think we’re lucky to have the most recognizable and largest icon in all of sport playing ours,” second-ranked Mickelson, 36, told reporters at the TPC Boston. “If Tiger was not around …. and I was able to be the No. 1 player in the world, I’d be making half as much (money) as I am now because of him. “I am very thankful for the fact that he’s in our sport and he’s had the success and the charisma and the lure to attract Corporate America as well as fans to the game. We’re all fortunate.” Woods, already widely regarded as the game’s greatest player, has ushered in an era of multi-million dollar endorsements and lucrative appearance money since turning professional in 1996. His Afro-American-Asian background has spread the sport to an audience far beyond its traditional image of male, white and middle-class and he trails only Jack Nicklaus (18) with his tally of major victories. Despite nursing a knee injury and double stress fracture, Woods clinched his 14th grand slam title at the U.S. Open in June before ending his season to have reconstructive knee surgery. In his absence, television ratings have plunged sharply on the PGA Tour while tournament attendances have also dropped. “The game of golf suffers when he’s not in the field,” three-times major winner Mickelson said after reflecting on his two-stroke triumph at the TPC Boston 12 months ago. “It was a fun tournament last year. I loved the opportunity to have won the tournament but I also love the way it happened, with the opportunity to play three rounds with Tiger. “The opportunity to have one of the best fields in golf for these FedExCup events and to be able to come out on top was a lot of fun.” Mickelson, who has yet to become world number one mainly because he has played in the Woods era, fired a closing five-under-par 66 to win last year’s Deutsche Bank Championship. He survived a double-bogey at the 12th hole and a late challenge by Woods to clinch his 32nd PGA Tour title and third of the season. Short-game genius Mickelson has triumphed twice on the 2008 PGA Tour but accepts he has not taken advantage of the absence of Woods for the last two-and-a-half months. “I’ve played the same way I’ve played throughout the year, I just haven’t been scoring the way I would like,” said the Californian, who has not won since the Colonial Invitational in May. “Even though I feel like I’m playing better, the little shots around the greens have cost me. But I’m starting to get that turned around and I expect to have a much better week this week.” The Deutsche Bank Championship starts today. Posted Aug 29 2008, 07:42 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, FedEx Cup, Deutsche Bank Championship, 2008

• Sorenstam to Play First LET Event in China

  A massive boost to ladies professional golf in China has come with the announcement by China Golf Association that the country will host its first ever Ladies European Tour event and that Annika Sorenstam, will play. The EUR200,000 Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open 2008 will be held from October 31st to November 2nd at the Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club and will be sanctioned by the China Golf Association, Ladies Asian Golf Tour and the Ladies European Tour. “We’re delighted that the Ladies European Tour is coming to China,” said Zhang Xiao-ning, Deputy Chairman and Secretary General of the China Golf Association. “And we’re particularly proud that one of the all time great players in women’s golf, Annika Sorenstam, will compete. It presents Chinese lady pros with some really tough competition and will be a great motivation for them to raise their performance to the highest level.” Alex Armas, Executive Director of the Ladies European Tour hailed the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open 2008 as a big step forward in the Tour’s growth internationally. “It’s our first event ever in China and will be a historic occasion for us,” said Armas. “At a time of year when the weather in Europe is turning against us, it’s important to be able to extend the Tour’s season and give our players an opportunity to come here to compete at Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club, which is truly a world class venue.” Raevadee T. Suwan, President of the Ladies Asian Golf Tour said, “The launching of the Suzhou Ladies Open 2008 as part of the LAGT is great news. It serves to inspire more top amateurs to look forward to their future in playing professional golf. We have seen many successful professional golfers from our Tour now playing on the bigger Tours and the LAGT is proud to have helped them getting there.” The new event will have a special significance for Annika Sorenstam as this will be the final time that she will compete in a professional tournament in China, having announced that she is stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the season. “China represents the future for golf and I feel I should be there at this time in my career,” she said. “The Ladies European Tour gave me my start in pro golf and so I want to be part of this historic moment together with my fellow European players.” Xu Yueping, chairman of Taihu Golf, the sponsor and organizer, said, “There is no higher honor for us than having Annika Sorenstam compete at Taihu in her final season. We will treasure this long into the future.” ABOUT SUZHOU TAIHU INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB: A luxury villa, hotel and resort development located at the edge of the scenic Taihu Lake, 40 minutes from the city of Suzhou. The Graham Marsh designed 18 holes championship course is complemented by a state of the art golf academy. The site is famous as the place where the military genius, Sun Tzu, wrote the immensely influential book “The Art of War”. Website: www.taihugolfhotel.com ABOUT CHINA GOLF ASSOCIATION: The official governing body of golf in China and main sanctioning body of the event. Major initiatives in the last few years have led to development of rules officials, a season long series of junior tournaments and training programs, national training squads for leading amateurs and the dramatic expansion of competitive opportunities for pros and amateurs. ABOUT LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR: Having formed over 30 years ago, the Tour aims to promote worldwide interest in the game of golf as well as to further the interest of its playing members. It has spawned some of the world’s greatest players such as Annika Sorenstam and Laura Davies. Website: www.ladieseuropeantour.com ABOUT LADIES ASIAN GOLF TOUR: Formed in 2005 and taking over where the previously known Kosaido Ladies Asian Golf Circuit left off in 2003. LAGT is more than just a Tour; it has lofty aspirations for the development of Asian ladies’ golf locally and internationally. It has a strong association with the R&A, Asia Pacific golf Confederation, the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour. Website: www.lagt.org Posted Aug 29 2008, 07:39 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Annika Sorenstam, LPGA, China

• Last Chance to Impress Nick Faldo at Gleneagles

  Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke are among the European stars who have a last chance this week to capture places on the Ryder Cup team. Along with Paul McGinley, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey, they are hoping to do enough in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles or the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston to impress captain Nick Faldo and secure one of two wild card spots. Montgomerie, Clarke and McGinley will play in Gleneagles, and Poulter and Casey will play in Boston, the second of the four FedEx Series playoffs. The team that will defend the trophy at Valhalla in Louisville, Ky., from Sept. 19-21 includes five from the world points list—British Open and PGA Championship winner Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson. The next five, who come from the European points list, are Miguel Angel Jimenez, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson. Martin Kaymer, Ross Fisher and Nick Dougherty are right behind the last three on the European points list. The Boston tournament does not count for either list—only to impress Faldo. After the 10 are known on Sunday, Faldo will announce his two wild cards at a news conference at Gleneagles. Montgomerie and Clarke are outside chances for wild-card selection. Montgomerie, unbeaten in singles in his eight previous Ryder Cup appearances, has had a poor summer and did not play the last two weeks. He finished 77th in the Bridgestone and missed the cut at the PGA Championship this month. The Scot practiced at Gleneagles last week, knowing that nothing less than a victory would impress Faldo. “It rained every day, but I got the job done. Now I feel very confident in trying to win this event,” said Montgomerie, who added he’s been trying to add 20 yards off the tee at the par-73 course measuring 7,320 yards. “My goal is to win and try to forget about everything else and what it all means,” Montgomerie said. Clarke won all three Ryder Cup points at The K Club in 2006 just six weeks after losing his wife Heather to cancer. He was out of the running for a pick until he won the Dutch Open last Sunday. Poulter announced Monday that he’d play Boston instead of Gleneagles, where a fifth-place finish could have got him on the team. Poulter changed his plan because he needs to play a 15th event on the U.S. Tour, and this would be his last chance this year. Posted Aug 28 2008, 09:29 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Nick Faldo, Ryder Cup, Colin Montgomerie, 2008, Darren Clarke, Johnnie Walker Championship

• Players Surprised by LPGA "English" Rule

  Open champion Padraig Harrington expressed astonishment on Wednesday after hearing that the women’s LPGA Tour will require its players to speak English from 2009. There are 121 international players from 26 countries on the U.S.-based women’s tour, including 45 from South Korea alone. “It is an amazing statement,” Irishman Harrington told reporters ahead of this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship. “The person that brought it to my attention did ask: ‘Does that mean if you’re mute you can’t play golf on the LPGA Tour?’ “Do you have to pass an exam? Who draws the line about how many words you’ve got to know in English?” Harrington, who successfully defended his British Open crown last month before winning the U.S. PGA Championship three weeks later, described the plan as a big step. He added: “Some people are natural talkers and some people aren’t. What if you have a person who genuinely struggles with learning a new language, they have a learning disability? “There are people out there who don’t naturally pick up second languages.” Golfweek magazine reported that from 2009 all players who have been on the LPGA Tour for two years must pass an oral English test. Failure would result in a suspended membership. LPGA Deputy Commissioner Libba Galloway said the “measurement time” would be at the end of next year but hoped that the need for suspensions would not arise. “If it does, we wouldn’t just say: ‘Come back next year’. What we would do is work with them on where they fell short, provide them the resources they need, the tutoring,” she added. Galloway said the LPGA was in “the sports entertainment business” and that there was a need to interact with fans and sponsors. South Korean golfer Pak Se-ri supported the stance. “We agree we should speak some English,” she told Golfweek. “We play so good overall. When you win, you should give your speech in English.” Posted Aug 28 2008, 09:28 AM by Golf International with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Golf International, Padraig Harrington, LPGA "English" Rule

• In Form Vijay Singh Looking Forward to Deutsche Bank

  FedExCup points leader Vijay Singh will be keeping one eye on his closest rivals when he bids for a third PGA Tour title in five starts at this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston. Fresh from victory at the Barclays Classic on Sunday, Fijian Singh is in pole position with three playoff events remaining but accepts much can change before the series ends. “I’m just going to go out there and play hard for the next few weeks,” Singh told reporters after beating Spaniard Sergio Garcia and American Kevin Sutherland in a playoff for the Barclays title. “I’ve had good outings in Boston. I’ve won there and finished second once. I know the golf course pretty well so I’m looking forward to that. “It would be nice to win it (the FedExCup),” added the world number five. “I’ve got a great start and I just have to go ahead and play hard for the next three other events. “The guys behind me, the way the system works now, the next guy that wins can just overtake you. It’s going to be tough but I’ve got a head start. I just have to go out there and play consistent, solid golf and hopefully win at the end.” Singh, winner of the 2004 Deutsche Bank Championship, is among 116 players from 16 different countries playing in the second leg of the FedExCup series, where the overall points leader collects a $10 million prize. Most of the bonus won by last year’s champion Tiger Woods came as a deferred payment. This year the playoffs winner will pocket $9 million in cash with $1 million deferred. The top 70 on the points list following this week’s event qualify for the BMW Championship starting on Sept. 4 in St Louis before the leading 30 players advance to the Tour Championship finale, staring on Sept. 25 in Atlanta. Going into this week, the top points earners are Singh (109,500), Garcia (104,375) and Americans Sutherland (101,950), Phil Mickelson (101,856) and Justin Leonard (101,830). Like Singh, left-hander Mickelson will also arrive at the TPC Boston exuding confidence, having held off a late challenge by Woods to win last year’s tournament by two shots. “I love the design and I love the setup,” said the American world number two, who has triumphed twice on the 2008 PGA Tour. “I love the way the greens are and the way the rough is where you can actually play shots “I feel like I’ve been playing some pretty good golf in recent weeks. I haven’t taken it to that last level of winning, but I’ve been just below.” Britons Ian Poulter and Paul Casey will also have the Ryder Cup in mind this week as they strive to attract the attention of European captain Nick Faldo for wildcard picks. The first 10 names on Faldo’s team will be decided on Sunday after the European Tour’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland. The top five players from the Ryder Cup world points list automatically qualify with the next five advancing from the European points list. Faldo will then add two captain’s picks to compete the 12-man team. Going into this week, Poulter lies eighth and Casey 16th in the world points standings. The Deutsche Bank Championship starts on Friday. Posted Aug 28 2008, 09:26 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh, Deutsche Bank Championship, 2008, Kevin Sutherland

• New FedExCup Points System Causing Surprises

  Padraig Harrington has won the last two majors and is considered the favorite to be voted player of the year on the PGA Tour. But if he doesn’t play well the next two weeks, he might not even make it to the Tour Championship. Then there’s Kevin Sutherland, who hasn’t won in more than six years and has never made it to the Tour Championship in his 13 years on tour. But he will tee off Friday in the Deutsche Bank Championship at No. 3 in the FedEx Cup standings. The tour wanted more volatility in the second year of its playoff system. But this much? “It’s definitely created some excitement among the players,” Brett Quigley said Wednesday at the TPC Boston, site of the second round of the PGA Tour Playoffs. He later was asked for a different description than “excitement,” and Quigley smiled. “Concern … interest,” he said. “I think last year they didn’t have the points system quite right with guys not being able to move enough, a la Rich Beem. And this year, it seems like the players think it’s a little too much movement. But certainly, they’ve created some drama. Some guys are going to be thinking about just making the cut this week; guys wouldn’t probably be thinking about that normally.” A year ago, Beem tied for seventh at The Barclays and barely advanced to the second round, moving from No. 134 to No. 113. Under this year’s points system, Beem would have moved up to No. 70. The top 120 made it to the Deutsche Bank Championship, and only the top 70 after this week advance to the third round in St. Louis. There are only 115 players at the TPC Boston because of injuries (Tiger Woods, Luke Donald, Alex Cejka) and two Europeans who are playing in Scotland this week (Lee Westwood, Justin Rose). Kenny Perry, who effectively began this postseason as the No. 1 seed with Woods out for the year, already began complaining about having three victories and not making it to the Tour Championship. But he tied for 48th and slipped only to No. 7. The one who should worry is Harrington, the British Open and PGA champion, who missed the cut last week at The Barclays and plunged all the way from No. 4 to No. 23. Another missed cut at Boston and he’ll be out of the top 30. But the Irishman isn’t worried at all. He actually likes the wild shifts in the standings. “I think it’s a fair reflection that I dropped about 20 spots by missing the cut,” Harrington said. “I think it should be very volatile. That’s what a playoff system should be like. You’ve got to go produce.” If he could change one thing, Harrington would make it even more combustible by awarding big points to the top 10 finishers in a tournament, minimal points for those barely making the cut. Either way, he came to one conclusion in Year Two of this system. “I think the FedEx Cup is working,” he said. “It’s got more players out here playing, more players interested at this time of the year. It’s creating a bit of a buzz. If players aren’t exactly happy with the system at the moment … no press is bad press. Something like that. People are talking about it, and that’s the main thing.” Vijay Singh won The Barclays last week in a playoff over Sergio Garcia and Sutherland, and they now are Nos. 1-2-3 and will be in the same group the first two rounds on the TPC Boston. Perhaps the biggest surprise—and the poster boy for how quickly the standings can change—is Martin Laird. The rookie from Scotland was at No. 164 going into the last tournament before the playoffs, then tied for fourth in Greensboro to barely qualify at No. 128. Laird then tied for seventh at The Barclays and moved all the way up to No. 67. “I was thinking of going home to Scotland probably for 10 days or so over those first two tournaments, seeing the family, taking a break, recharging and coming back,” Laird said. “But those plans changed.” Count him among the proponents of change. “Obviously, I love it,” he said. “And I’m sure there’s a few guys that don’t love it. But you know, it’s the playoffs. It’s like any sport. You play to get there, and when you get there, it’s whoever is playing best at that time that comes out on top.” But there was another wrinkle that some grad students over at MIT might what to calculate. Two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen was the 144th and final player to qualify for the postseason. He tied for 48th last week, moving up to No. 119 to barely get into the Deutsche Bank. Say he finishes 10th the next two weeks and narrowly makes it to the Tour Championship, where he finishes last. “Is it possible that Janzen could qualify for the Tour Championship, but still not earn enough money at the end of the year to finish in the top 125 and keep his card?” Quigley said. Posted Aug 28 2008, 09:23 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, FedEx Cup, Brett Quigley, Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh, Kenny Perry, Kevin Sutherland, Points System

• World No.5 Singh to Star in Iskandar Johor Open

  World number five Vijay Singh of Fiji will headline the Iskandar Johor Open at Royal Johor Country Club from October 30 to November 2. Johor Chief Minister Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman announced Singh’s participation at the official launch of the event today by its patron Tunku Abdul Majid Idris Sultan Iskandar, who is also the Malaysian Golf Association president. The Iskandar Johor Open will also raise its prize fund to US$500,000 (RM1.65 million), which is a significant increase from the US$300,000 inaugural tournament last year. The championship, which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Malaysian Golf Association, is supported by the Johor Government and Iskandar Regional Development Authority - the regional authority charged with transforming south Johor into an economic dynamo by 2025. The return of the Iskandar Johor Open will also see the Asian Tour reach a new milestone with a record 30 tournaments and nearly US$39 million on offer this season. Ghani was delighted that the Iskandar Johor Open has attracted Singh, a three-time major champion. The big Fijian has a close association with Malaysia as he was based at Royal Johor during the 1980s and claimed his first international victory in Malaysia in 1984. “The impressive field of top-notch players will make the Iskandar Johor Open a world-class event in the making,” said Ghani. “The event is a wonderful platform to further promote and develop professional golf in the country. And our aim is to create a world-class tournament which will help expose Iskandar Regional Development Authority to the world,” he added. Singh, a former world number one, will arrive in Royal Johor in sizzling form as he won The Barclays Classic in New Jersey on the US PGA Tour last week and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational earlier this month. He has claimed 57 professional titles since joining the play-for-pay ranks in 1982. The last time Singh made an appearance in Malaysia was in the 2001 Malaysian Open where he beat Irishman Padraig Harrington in a play-off for the title. He went on to win the Singapore Masters in the following week. His last tournament win in Asia was the 2007 Korean Open. Joining Singh at the Iskandar Johor Open will be defending champion Artemio Murakami of the Philippines. The 25-year old is a rising star, especially after making his debut in the 2008 US Open at Torres Pines. Malaysia’s leading professionals will also chase for glory. Amongst those in the fray include 22-year old Ben Leong, who has dazzled the golfing fraternity by winning three consecutive titles recently, including a maiden Asian Tour win at the Worldwide Selangor Masters earlier this month where he defeated Thai star Thongchai Jaidee. Airil Rizman, winner of the Pakistan Open on the Asian Tour last season, has also confirmed his participation in the Iskandar Johor Open. Iskandar Regional Development Authority, the title sponsor, is confident that the international television exposure through the Asian Tour’s alliance with ESPN STAR Sports will push the Iskandar Johor Open onto the world’s golfing map. “This will also be a boon for foreign direct investments and tourism in Johor,” said Iskandar Regional Development Authority chief executive officer Dato Ikmal Hijaz Hashim. Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han lauded the return of the Iskandar Johor Open. “We are proud and honoured to sanction the Iskandar Johor Open. With the return of the prestigious event and a record US$500,000 on offer this year, the Asian Tour will for the first time offer an unprecedented 30 tournaments which is a new record in Asian golf history. “It is also tremendous that Vijay, who is an honorary member of the Asian Tour, will compete in the Iskandar Johor Open and his presence will certainly add to the prestige of this emerging tournament,” said Han. The championship will be played over 72 holes (four rounds) of stroke play at Royal Johor Country Club. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the leading 65 players plus ties. Admission is free for spectators. News and updates on the tournament will be available on the official tournament website – www.iskandarjohoropen.com – which was also launched today. The inaugural Iskandar Johor Open attracted 156 players from 25 countries last year. Murakami came from two shots off the lead and produced a near flawless closing 68 to take the title by one stroke from compatriot Antonio Lascuna and Scotsman Simon Yates for his maiden win on the Asian Tour. Posted Aug 28 2008, 09:19 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Vijay Singh, 2008, Johor Open

• Camilo Villegas Wins Begay's Skins Game

  Camilo Villegas apparently likes the skins game format. The rising Colombian star won a chipoff Tuesday against Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Stewart Cink, and Notah Begay III to walk away with top money at the inaugural Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge at Turning Stone Resort’s Atunyote Golf Club. Villegas’ winning pitch on the extra hole of the skins game competition boosted his earnings for the day to $220,000. Singh won two holes to finish with $180,000, and Cink finished with one skin worth $100,000 from the total purse of $500,000. The event, a collaboration between the Oneida Indian Nation of New York and San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians of California, is an effort to aide Native American youth and their communities. “We’re lucky to do what we do,” said Villegas, who won more than $200,000 at the two-day World Skins Game in June in Canada. “If we get a chance to help make an impact on a kid’s life, that’s why we’re here.” The first six holes were worth $10,000 apiece, the second six $20,000, holes 13 through 17 were worth $50,000 each, and No. 18 was worth $70,000. It was tough to score a skin despite picture-perfect weather with temperatures in the mid-70s. When Villegas hit a 250-yard fairway shot to within a foot of the pin at the par-5 fifth hole to set up an easy eagle, Weir nullified it with an 18-foot eagle putt. “I felt like I played pretty good,” Weir said. “But that’s skins. You’ve got to time it right.” Singh, fresh from his win Sunday at The Barclays, the Fedex Cup playoff opener, scored the lone skin on the front nine, making birdie at the 414-yard par-4 fourth hole. After Begay’s birdie putt lipped out and Villegas’ short downhill birdie try stopped 2 inches short of the hole, Singh stepped up and calmly drained a 6-foot putt worth $40,000. Weir nearly aced the 185-yard, par-3 sixth hole, and when Singh matched his birdie Weir muttered, “Make enough money last week?” All five had a chance at $80,000 on No. 9 and all five missed makeable putts. The pot rose to $140,000 at the par-5 12th hole, a slight dogleg right with a massive, 13-acre water hazard lining the right side of the fairway. Singh was the only player to reach the green in two shots, and when his second shot landed within 4 feet of the pin, he easily scored his second skin despite missing the eagle putt. Three holes later, Villegas finally broke through, draining a pretty 15-foot pitch-and-run from the back fringe at No. 15 for $150,000 as the gallery of about 2,000 cheered. “It wasn’t pretty with the putter,” Villegas said. “I kept hitting good shots, and then I chipped one in. That’s the way golf goes. I kept telling my caddie, ‘Man, we’ve played pretty good today. We’ve been pretty much in every hole with a chance to do something special.’ And somebody tops me. I top somebody. Then, coming down the stretch I hit some good shots and got a couple of good breaks.” Cink, erratic all day, captured his lone skin at the par-4 17th hole, sinking a downhill putt from 16 feet for birdie. When nobody won at 17 or 18, all five had one pitch downhill at No. 18 for the final prize, and Villegas’ shot stopped closest to the pin—58 inches—for $70,000. The Notah Begay III Foundation was established in 2005 to create sustainable programs that are designed by Native Americans for Native American youth. The NB3 Challenge was the foundation’s first national event. At the award ceremony afterward, Singh thanked Begay for organizing the competition and announced he would donate $80,000 of his earnings to the foundation, which also received a $100,000 contribution from the day’s festivities. Begay, the only Native American player on the PGA Tour, was clearly touched. “It brought me to tears,” Begay said. “I had to compose myself. Guys don’t have to do that. It’s just a reflection on who he (Singh) is as a person. He understands and respects what we’re trying to get done.” About the only thing missing was Tiger Woods, Begay’s college roommate at Stanford. Woods had committed to playing before he was sidelined for the season with a knee injury. “He’s never played a fundraising event. This was going to be his first one ever,” Begay said. “I think that speaks to the amount of respect he has for our friendship. We’ve been together now for over 20 years. “I suspect there’s a tremendous chance he’ll be on the property next year, but the most important thing is that he gets his knee back where he wants to. Posted Aug 27 2008, 11:10 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Stewart Cink, Camilo Villegas, Notah Begay III, Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge

• Paul Azinger Struggling with Captain's Picks

  If nothing else, Paul Azinger deserves credit for making sure the United States fields its best team in the Ryder Cup. The revamped criteria identifies the best Americans in a Ryder Cup year. Six of the eight qualifiers have combined to win 10 tournaments this year. The other two are Jim Furyk, steady as ever, and Ben Curtis, perhaps the hottest player at the moment. “If we win, I’ll go down as having the lowest IQ of any genius who ever lived,” Azinger said last month. Real genius, though, is figuring out what to do with his four captain’s picks. Azinger believed his team would be even stronger if he could double the number of his picks to get the hottest players. But with one tournament remaining before he has to choose, he might as well put on a blindfold and throw darts. “I’m really happy that I don’t have to pick four players this morning, I can tell you that,” Azinger said the morning after the PGA Championship, the old deadline for his captain’s picks. “It would have been very difficult to know what to do.” Like it’s any easier now? Of the next 25 players in the standings, only one of them—rookie Chez Reavie—has won in the last six months. The best American last week at The Barclays was Kevin Sutherland, whose only PGA Tour victory came six years ago in Accenture Match Play Championship. And if Azinger is looking for experience, only four of the next 40 in the standings have ever played in a Ryder Cup. To offer the captain help he doesn’t need, 23 golf writers were asked to submit four picks each. There wasn’t much consensus with them, either. The writers were told they would not be identified, but comments from one longtime Ryder Cup scribe as he struggled to come up with four picks summed up Azinger’s problems. “I’m looking for the hottest players, but they don’t play for the United States.” Steve Stricker led the list with 17 points, followed by Rocco Mediate (15), Hunter Mahan (12) and J.B. Holmes (11). Behind those top four were Brandt Snedeker with seven votes, Sean O’Hair with five, then Scott Verplank, Woody Austin and Zach Johnson with four. Eighteen players, from rookie Kevin Streelman to veteran Paul Goydos, received votes. Azinger declined an invitation to submit his four names, but he sent an e-mail saying his choices “might be narrowing.” What that means is anyone’s guess, although the e-mail arrived on Friday when Stricker was leading the Barclays and playing in the final group with Mahan. They combined to play the weekend at Ridgewood in 11-over par. Holmes closed with a 66 at Barclays, but timing is everything. He sure could have used a round like that at Oakland Hills, where he shot 81 in the final round of the PGA Championship when he had the 54-hole lead. The hottest players are found across the Atlantic, even if some of the Europeans are doing their damage on U.S. soil. Darren Clarke just won in Holland for his second victory in the last four months, winning the KLM Open by three shots over Paul McGinley (you remember McGinley—he’s the Irishman who made the winning putt for Europe in 2002). Paul Casey was one shot out of the lead going into the final round of The Barclays and tied for seventh. The winner in Greensboro? Carl Pettersson of Sweden. The winner of the last two majors? Padraig Harrington of Ireland. The only American to win a major this year was Tiger Woods, who clinched a spot on the team one week before season-ending knee surgery. Azinger said he would continue the points list after the PGA Championship “so I can look at the top 12 guys and maybe make a choice just based on that.” Good luck. Of the top 25 who did not make the team, nine missed the cut at The Barclays and none finished among the top 18. The one criteria that Azinger said might need changing for the next U.S. team is the majors, which offered double points in the current year. If any American had won the PGA Championship—including a club pro—he would have been eligible for the team. The double points at majors—Azinger believes 1 1/2 points would be better— enabled Curtis to make his first Ryder Cup team with his tie for second at the PGA Championship. That worked out well, for Curtis is playing as well as anyone. In his first tournament since Oakland Hills, he finished one shot out of the playoff at The Barclays. Considering that the new points system identified the best players, was four picks really necessary? “Maybe not,” Azinger said. “I don’t know. If you look down that list, I like the next four guys a lot.” He likes a lot of players. Whether they can help the United States win the Ryder Cup is another matter. The Deutsche Bank Championship, which starts Friday on the TPC Boston, could go a long way toward firming up Azinger’s four picks. He will announce his selections next Tuesday in New York. One can only hope he doesn’t have to go the way of one writer, who left this message after giving his four names. “It was more a case of settling on who I didn’t want than necessarily who I wanted. Good luck, Mr. Azinger.” Posted Aug 27 2008, 11:07 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Ryder Cup, Paul Azinger, Jim Furyk, Ben Curtis

• European Ryder Cup Race Ends at Gleneagles

  The race for Ryder Cup points enters its last lap in this week’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. With Europe’s team being decided on Sunday night, only seven places are already assured of the 12 who will feature under non-playing captain Nick Faldo against United States at Valhalla, Kentucky from September 19-21. Three of the automatic qualifiers are still in doubt and Faldo will also add two wildcard selections once the top-10 places have unraveled at the close of the Scottish event. British pair Justin Rose (eighth in the Cup table) and Oliver Wilson (10th) and Soren Hansen of Denmark (ninth) are the three players desperately trying to remain in the top-10. The only players who could overtake the trio at Gleneagles are German Martin Kaymer (11th) and Britons Ross Fisher (13th) and Nick Dougherty (14th). Ian Poulter (12th) decided not to return from the U.S. PGA Tour to Europe to attempt to play his way into the team and the Briton is one of several players hoping for a wildcard from Faldo. Faldo dropped a broad hint while commentating on television at the Barclays Classic in New Jersey at the weekend that he had Briton Paul Casey in mind for a pick. The skipper said Casey would be in the team if he made a birdie on the last hole on Sunday which the player duly achieved. Faldo, though, quickly withdrew his comment. Darren Clarke’s four-shot victory in Sunday’s Dutch Open has also made the Ryder Cup stalwart one of the favorites for a wildcard. Eight-times European number one Colin Montgomerie is another contender for one of Faldo’s two picks. But unless he wins at Gleneagles the 45-year-old Scot’s selection would only be for his sparkling Ryder Cup record, having yet to be beaten in eight singles matches in the biennial team event. Montgomerie has taken the last two weeks off rather than try to qualify for the European team and has struggled for form all season. The Johnnie Walker event starts on Thursday. Posted Aug 27 2008, 11:05 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Nick Faldo, Ryder Cup, 2008, Johnnie Walker Championship

• LPGA to Have English Speaking Requirement

  The LPGA Tour boasts players from all over the world, and it wants all of them to be able to speak English. The LPGA will require players to speak English starting in 2009, with players who have been LPGA members for two years facing suspension if they can’t pass an oral evaluation of English skills. The rule is effective immediately for new players. “Why now? Athletes now have more responsibilities and we want to help their professional development,” deputy commissioner Libba Galloway told The Associated Press. “There are more fans, more media and more sponsors. We want to help our athletes as best we can succeed off the golf course as well as on it.” The tour held a mandatory meeting with South Koreans last Wednesday at the Safeway Classic to inform them of the new policy, which was first reported by Golfweek magazine. There is no such rule on the PGA Tour. There are 121 international players from 26 countries on the LPGA Tour, including 45 players from South Korea. The South Koreans were informed of the rule, however LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens has not given them—or anyone—a written explanation, Galloway said. But the message already appears to be lost in translation. The magazine said every South Korean player it interviewed believed she would lose her card—not be suspended—if she failed the English evaluation. Angela Park, born in Brazil of South Korean heritage and raised in the United States, said the policy is fair and good for the tour and its international players. “A lot of Korean players think they are being targeted, but it’s just because there are so many of them,” Park told the magazine. Galloway said the LPGA is a “global tour and is not targeting any specific player or country.” Seon-Hwa Lee, the only Asian with multiple victories this year, said she works with an English tutor in the winter. Her ability to answer questions without the help of a translator has improved in her short time on tour. “The economy is bad, and we are losing sponsors,” Lee said. “Everybody understands.” The policy was endorsed by at least one tournament director, Kate Peters of the LPGA State Farm Classic. “This is an American tour,” Peters said. “It is important for sponsors to be able to interact with players and have a positive experience.” Galloway denied the move was based on sponsors and said interest in the tour has never been stronger. “We are connecting with fans and sponsors like never before,” she said. “But we want things to continue to get better, to continue to grow. Posted Aug 27 2008, 11:02 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, LPGA Tour, English

• Ian Poulter Chooses to Rely on Ryder Cup Wild Card

  Ian Poulter has pulled out of this week’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, the last points-counting event for next month’s Ryder Cup. “I have called (captain) Nick Faldo and told him of my decision and hope my performance so far this year will earn one of his two wildcard picks,” Poulter said in a statement issued by the European Tour on Monday. The 32-year-old Englishman, runner-up to Ireland’s Padraig Harrington in the British Open at Royal Birkdale in July, is outside the automatic top-10 places in the Ryder Cup points standings. Poulter missed the cut in the opening event of the U.S. PGA Tour’s FedExCup playoffs last week and needs to compete in the second tournament of the series in Boston this week to have any chance of qualifying for the final two events, the BMW Championship and The Tour Championship. “It has been an extremely difficult decision to take given my burning desire to represent Europe again in defending the Ryder Cup,” said Poulter. “But the fact Boston is my only opportunity to qualify for the final two playoff events, as well as being my final opportunity to play my 15 events on the U.S. PGA Tour, conflicts with my ambition to play Gleneagles and earn my spot in the team.” Poulter, who made his only previous Ryder Cup appearance in 2004, is likely to have to compete with the likes of Darren Clarke, Paul Casey and Colin Montgomerie for Faldo’s two wildcard picks. Clarke won the Dutch Open on Sunday, the same day as fellow Briton Casey finished joint seventh in the FedExCup’s Barclays Classic. Montgomerie has suffered a slump in form this season but cannot be ruled out of contention, having been a Ryder Cup talisman for Europe in the last eight editions of the biennial team event. “The captain’s picks are a nightmare and not a position I would have wanted,” added Poulter. “But we know Nick will do the right thing and I will be playing as hard as I can this week to … hopefully earn one.” Europe bid to win the Ryder Cup for the fourth time in a row when they take on United States at Valhalla, Kentucky from Sept. 19-21. Posted Aug 26 2008, 07:17 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Nick Faldo, Ryder Cup, Ian Poulter