“Of course Lee and I have been friends for many years, and our record together in the Ryder Cup was second only to Jose Maria Olazabal and Seve [Ballesteros]”.
Advertisement
Clarke is well aware of the threat which will be posed from his friend Singh’s Asian team, adding: “We have seen over the last few years so many fantastic Asian players coming through and it’s a wonderful opportunity for those guys – some of them that we know on The European Tour and some we are maybe not so familiar with – to show just how good they are”.
“I was planning to be out in Kuala Lumpur anyway but now in accepting the captaincy role I will get more interaction with the players, and players I could very well be taking with me to Hazeltine later next year”. That was an unfortunate incident and I think we’ve learnt a lot from it…
The 12-man teams will not be decided until about a month before the matches, but each side has among the biggest names in golf – Jordan Spieth of Texas and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland have won four of the last six majors.
It is rich in history, drama and grudges and the United States will be eager to reclaim the title after losing to Europe for a third consecutive time a year ago at Gleneagles in Scotland. But I think we will have our players ready.
I just hope I can get a great team out there and keep them calm and collected and get the best out of them. But I think if the fans cheer for their side in a fair way that’s what makes it fun for the players. They understand what golf’s all about and they are going to make great champions and great leaders for our tour for the future.
“I think what the PGA of America has done is give the players, the captains, a voice”.
The battle for the Ryder Cup began Monday with a friendly exchange between rival captains in a Minneapolis skyscraper a half-hour away from the suburban course where the 17-inch trophy will be awarded this time next year.
Former World number one Tiger Woods has told Davis Love III that is he willing to be a vice captain at next year’s Ryder Cup in Minnesota should he fail to make the team. “What Suzann did was correct in the rules of golf but in the spirit of the game was wrong”.
Casey, who made a comeback this season with eight top-10s including a T5 finish at the Tour Championship, is ineligible to play on Darren Clarke’s 2016 European Team because he is not now a member of the European Tour.
Advertisement
“But first and foremost we want to go there and win the EurAsia Cup”.
