File – In this Sunday, July 31, 2016 file photo, Martin Kaymer watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Thomas Pieters will fill out the European team as Darren Clarke’s captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine from September 30-Oct. 2.
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“I know people are assuming I am the third of the three picks if he goes for Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer”.
Rory McIlroy, Danny Willett, Henrik Stenson, Chris Wood, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Rafael Cabrera Bello, Andy Sullivan and Matt Fitzpatrick had already qualified automatically for the contest against United States.
Captain Clarke played the first two rounds of the Made in Denmark alongside Pieters last Thursday and Friday.
One factor that may have counted against Knox in the final decision was his decision to ignore the advice of Clarke and vice captain Ian Poulter, who both got in touch to urge him to play in the Wyndham Championship two weeks ago. Westwood and Kaymer were long standing favourites to be selected, with Westwood securing his 10 consecutive appearance at the event. “(The American) team is shaping up very strongly, but my players are world class in their own right.
“Martin Kaymer is somewhat of a Ryder Cup stalwart and a man I have enormous trust in”.
“Last week I played with him (Pieters) as I have many times over the qualification period”.
“I feel bad for him (Knox)”.
“And I think we’re, you know, ready to give our all, and like Darren said, he’s got a very strong side and he’s got a lot of options for partnerships”.
Knox was omitted by Clarke despite missing out on automatic qualifying by a single place and being ranked 20th in the world, comfortably higher than the Ulsterman’s choices of Thomas Pieters, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer.
“The last one was hard”. “He’ll be somewhat like the general on the team”, Clarke said.
Pieters, who finished fourth in the Olympic golf tournament, showed his worth by finishing runner-up in the Czech Masters and winning last weekend’s Made in Denmark event to sway Clarke’s mind, as well as those of his vice-captains, which include Knox’s fellow Scots, Paul Lawrie and Sam Torrance.
“I made a decision to take two weeks off to enjoy my win and I will never regret doing that”, he told BBC Sportsound.
He felt he deserved to be part of the European team and Russell Knox concedes it will be hard to watch the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.
“Then it came down to the choice between Russell Knox and Thomas Pieters”. Thomas Pieters impresses me in the same league as those guys.
“In two years’ time, I hope myself and a couple of other Scottish guys are on the team”.
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He won’t find watching Hazeltine easy, but he’ll still back the team.
