As our series of profiles is rounded off with Darren Clarke’s three wildcard selections for The 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, we take a closer look at three-time European Tour victor and Belgian rookie, Thomas Pieters.
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Darren Clarke named his three wildcard picks for the Ryder Cup on Tuesday lunchtime and unfortunately for fans of Shane Lowry they were as predicted in many places this morning.
He has played in Europe’s last three Ryder Cup wins and sank the putt that completed the European team’s stunning comeback to defeat the United States in 2012’s “Miracle of Medinah”.
Pieters was given a wild card pick by Clarke, as were Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood, with the selection of the 24-year-old the cause for understandable debate.
“To get it down to those three has certainly been very hard”, said Clarke.
Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke said Lee Westwood will be his “general” for the tournament at Hazeltine.
Darren Clarke revealed that his phone call with Russell Knox, informing him that he would not be in the Ryder Cup team, was hard. Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell with their experience. I haven’t slept an bad lot thinking about it, and having to phone Russell yesterday to give him the information is probably one of the toughest phone calls I’ve ever had to make because Russell has played unbelievably well over the qualification period, with winning WGC (HSBC Champions) and then doing what he did in Travelers (winner).
Knox could still have caught the final European automatic qualifier, Matt Fitzpatrick, with a strong showing in The Wyndham Championship a couple of weeks ago but the Scot made a decision to miss that event in the aftermath of his second PGA Tour win of the campaign at The Travelers Championship.
Clarke’s nine automatic qualifiers were locked in before the Made In Denmark, leaving the Northern Irishman to announce his three captain’s picks exactly one month before the tournament gets underway.
Clarke was quick to point out that although the pair are very close friends that ultimately played no part in his decision. “I am proud of this team and have no worries about them at all”.
“Then it came down to the choice between Russell Knox and Thomas Pieters”.
“And the way Thomas has played golf over the last four weeks has impressed me so much I found it impossible to leave him out”.
Martin Kaymer won the 2010 U.S. PGA Championship and 2014 U.S. Open and has featured in the last three Ryder Cups. He is a great foursomes player, a wonderful guy to be around and his experience will be invaluable in what will be his 10th appearance. “I have to respect the decision he made and get on with it”. “It’s a team that’s going to go there and do everything we possibly can to bring that trophy back home again”.
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“It’s going to be a monumental task but I’ve got full confidence in the team we’re going to take”.
