European Ryder Cup team

[Silent]

Nah. Donald has had a shitty year. Westwood has too, but he's had a couple solid finishes lately.

Selecting Westwood is a slap in the face of the players who did perform well imho.

[RJH999]

Selecting Westwood is a slap in the face of the players who did perform well imho.

Well Molinari deserved it then. He's played better than Westwood & Donald.

[FarawayFairways]

Disagree - I think it was key to get a Scot on the team, not to mention Gallacher's stellar play over the past couple weeks. And, his fellow Ryder Cuppers talking him up on Twitter.

Why is it so important to get a Scot on the team? It's something that is being bandied about when the media have run out of justifications. It's a lame reason I reckon akin to the tone that said Tiger has to play for viewing figures. Tickets are already pre-sold anyway (not that that should ever have been a consideration in the slightest). The Scots are going to turn up regardless. There isn't a cat in hells chance that they're going to be any less partisan if a Scot wasn't playing. Scottish sports supporters have two sides to them. If the tickets have been sold to traditional golf fans the US players will be OK, but if they've been sold to Rangers fans (a euphamism for more general sports/ football fans) you could get a quite hostile reception the like of which American's haven't had before. I'm sceptical, but have just got off the phone to a Gleneagles member who reckons the latter is more likely

As for Ryder Cuppers talking him up, what would you expect? They aren't going to slag him off are they?

Gallacher knows the Gleneagles course better than anyone from either team. Even if he ends up playing poorly...he has the ability to give helpful tips here and there to the other Euro players. Also at this point I can't see Luke playing THAT much better. Luke could have been picked over Westwood though.

Again, I tend to think this is being over-stated. Paul Casey has twice won the Johnnie Walker on the Centenary Course but no one mentioned him. Tomas Bjorn is another course winner in the same event. Gallacher came second once when he lost a play off. Indeed, Gallacher's singles record in things like Eurasia Cups and Seve Trophy's is 0 - 3 - 0 on top of his 1 - 2 - 0 in sudden death. Come to think of it the Molinari's used to holiday at Gleneagles and Eduardo has won the Johnnie Walker too. If he knows it that well, then he could still be used as a captains assistant. My own guess however is that Sam Torrance will have played it more times

Donald's driving stats - including distance (and GIR) have gotten worse under Chuck Cook

Hence why you'd play him exclusively in the foursomes where his putting has held up. There is a danger of over-doing the stats analysis in match play but Luke wouldn't be required to drive and hit the green in regulation until the singles. Like I said, four of the five par 3's for instance could almost be by-passed. Sergio could hit the shot on even numbered holes and Luke putt it

[FarWest]

I'd imagine that a huge factor in Gallacher's selection, outside of the fact that he only missed out on automatic selection by a sliver, was his ability to put in a performance like last weekend when under enormous pressure.  Apparently McGinley spelled out his requirements for each of the contenders a couple of weeks ago, and only Gallacher responded in the required manner.

Donald was pitiful at the DB, and in the preceding weeks, and can have no complaints about being left out, while Westwood didn't even make it there, so I reckoned Molinari had a big chance to be picked, but he putted very poorly.  Poulter showed some decent form last weekend, and was always going to get in the side anyway as the European talisman, so it came down to Westwood and Molinari, and it looks like McGinley went with experience and track record in the RC.  He had also spoken about Westwoods influence in the team room, and his ability to pull out big performances, so its hard to argue against his selection, especially when all the other options had such big question marks over them.

[Gunther]

Well Molinari deserved it then. He's played better than Westwood & Donald.

Absolutely and I read somewhere his record at Gleneagles is amazing. Picking Westwood over Molinari is a puzzler.

[iacas]

Personally, I'd have taken a chance on Donald over Gallacher. You know Luke's top end performance threshold is higher than Stephen's, and despite the fact that selecting Gallacher will be reported as a gamble, I tend to think it's actually the safety first option

I think the proper choice re: Gallacher was made. He's on form, was under pressure and performed, and nearly automatically qualified. Luke is not, has not, and was not.

[FarawayFairways]

Stephen's "on form" but that for me is a big part of the issue. What exactly is his on form in the context of Stephen Gallacher? He's 39 now, (3 years older than Luke) he's playing the best golf of his career, but his best form is that of a top 30 player so far as we know. Luke's is that of a top 5 player. OK I'm not telling anyone, anything they don't know, but Donald's ceiling potential is higher than Gallacher's, if he can get somewhere back towards it. Well match-play, and foursomes in particular, is a format that is laid out for him given the source of his problems. All the evidence suggests (the same statistical evidence I was suggesting we shouldn't become slaves to!) that his short game is as good as ever, and so the number of fairway shots and drives he's required to hit is halved in foursomes (its actually more than half because of the way the Centenary course is laid out)

There's just this niggling doubt in my mind as well that Stephen Gallacher isn't 'a winner'. There's something of the artesan rather than the craftsman about him, and although many of us admire that as its probably a trait nearer to our own, I do wonder if he simply isn't half a class short of this standard?

His match play record (and he's been paired with Paul Lawire alot which in the context of the matches they played was a decent strength combo) is 3 - 7 - 1

His singles record is 0 - 3  - 0

He's represented Scotland at World Match play with one good result (4th) and two very poor ones

He's managed a total of 3 career tour wins

Even this much vaunted form he's in, still saw him miss the target in Italy. Gallant near misses are just that. A loss in any other language. By contrast Jamie Donaldson nailed his target and actually won the Czech open

Stephen Gallacher has had the same opportunity to qualify of the European list as everyone else yet has never got into the position of the automatic. There is more than just a bit of me wondering if he isn't half a class below the level needed here, and that perhaps gambling on Donald who is open to the greater improvement to hit the higher level wasn't a better shout. If this was a stroke play tournament with every shot hit counting, then I'd agree, play safe and take Gallacher, but this format I think allows you to take the best bits of Luke and hide the worst bits to an acceptable level to justify the gamble

Another thing he needs to consider of course is pairings? Donald was 4-1-0 with Garcia. If they took the view that Sergio could play with Donald, then it potentially releases Rory who we expect to be paired with Sergio.

Who will Stephen Gallacher partner? We don't know, but my own guess might be Lee Westwood

[iacas]

Stephen's "on form" but that for me is a big part of the issue. What exactly is his on form in the context of Stephen Gallacher?

The guy who missed out on automatically qualifying by a shred. Plus he knows Gleneagles better than anyone else.

I disagree about Donald.

#shortandsweet

[RJH999]

Stephen's "on form" but that for me is a big part of the issue. What exactly is his on form in the context of Stephen Gallacher? He's 39 now, (3 years older than Luke) he's playing the best golf of his career, but his best form is that of a top 30 player so far as we know. Luke's is that of a top 5 player. OK I'm not telling anyone, anything they don't know, but Donald's ceiling potential is higher than Gallacher's, if he can get somewhere back towards it. Well match-play, and foursomes in particular, is a format that is laid out for him given the source of his problems. All the evidence suggests (the same statistical evidence I was suggesting we shouldn't become slaves to!) that his short game is as good as ever, and so the number of fairway shots and drives he's required to hit is halved in foursomes (its actually more than half because of the way the Centenary course is laid out) There's just this niggling doubt in my mind as well that Stephen Gallacher isn't 'a winner'. There's something of the artesan rather than the craftsman about him, and although many of us admire that as its probably a trait nearer to our own, I do wonder if he simply isn't half a class short of this standard? His match play record (and he's been paired with Paul Lawire alot which in the context of the matches they played was a decent strength combo) is 3 - 7 - 1 His singles record is 0 - 3  - 0 He's represented Scotland at World Match play with one good result (4th) and two very poor ones He's managed a total of 3 career tour wins Even this much vaunted form he's in, still saw him miss the target in Italy. Gallant near misses are just that. A loss in any other language. By contrast Jamie Donaldson nailed his target and actually won the Czech open Stephen Gallacher has had the same opportunity to qualify of the European list as everyone else yet has never got into the position of the automatic. There is more than just a bit of me wondering if he isn't half a class below the level needed here, and that perhaps gambling on Donald who is open to the greater improvement to hit the higher level wasn't a better shout. If this was a stroke play tournament with every shot hit counting, then I'd agree, play safe and take Gallacher, but this format I think allows you to take the best bits of Luke and hide the worst bits to an acceptable level to justify the gamble Another thing he needs to consider of course is pairings? Donald was 4-1-0 with Garcia. If they took the view that Sergio could play with Donald, then it potentially releases Rory who we expect to be paired with Sergio.  Who will Stephen Gallacher partner? We don't know, but my own guess might be Lee Westwood

Yeah. But Luke Donald has sucked all year. Gallacher deserves it. Molinari should have gotten in arguably.

[ChrisP]

I would be most shocked if Gallacher doesn't make it out of anyone. He's playing the best of any non-qualifier and he's from Scotland. It's the perfect situation to pick him.

[Gunther]

He was already picked at around 7 this morn. ;)

[ChrisP]

He was already picked at around 7 this morn. ;)

Yeah, I just saw that. I didn't think they picked until next week. So you how out of it I am right now haha.

[owen]

Team sport you pick the people inform, plus look at past performance, match play entirely different ball game,captain's have to think of pairing and who perform well together. Agree with the McGinley choice, The Euro team will be hard to topple on links course.

[Crim]

The Euro team will be hard to topple on links course.

I could be wrong, but I don't think Gleneagles is a links course.

You're right nonetheless.

[owen]

Correct not a traditional links course, the Centenary course created by Jack Nicklaus, it about 50/50 conventional and links, not sure if you familiar with the lay out but one of the most challenging, even of the front markers, had the privilege to play there on holiday, very picturesque,can distract you from your game.

[FarawayFairways]

There's no links land at Gleneagles

It's about 50 miles from the coast to start with

It's normally considered a moorland course

The PGA Centenary Course is regarded as the weakest of the three at Gleneagles, but is the only one that could take the galleries

[Silent]

Captain's picks Westwood (T87, +2) and Gallacher (T153, +7) start badly at the Wales Open. Luiten at 1 (-6) *just saying*

[iacas]

Captain's picks Westwood (T87, +2) and Gallacher (T153, +7) start badly at the Wales Open.

Luiten at 1 (-6) *just saying*

He didn't get picked. You can "just say" it all day long, but he didn't get picked. He should have qualified on points if he wanted to get on the team.

Tell him to play better next time around. :) Then you won't have to say anything except "yippee."