Johnnie Walker Championship, Ryder Cup Selection; This week important for golf
A lot is happening this week and it won’t stop until Ryder cup arrives and marks the end of season for golf.
The first thing already grasping media’s attention is the teams being finalized for the Ryder cup. The men in constant state of turmoil are the captains of the two teams. Starting with Team USA’s captain Corey Pavin, who not only has to follow up the Ryder Cup captaincy but at the same time also has to decide on whether to keep Tiger Woods in the team or not?. Worst of all, Paul Goydos withdrew from the team on Monday and that too without giving any reason.
In selecting Woods as a wild card pick, many issues need to be kept in focus. Firstly, 2010 was the worst season of his career and also for his personal life. Although he won the FedEx Cup in 2009 but this is not enough to select him. Woods is 112th according to the FedEx Cup points list which means he wholly has no chance on the team and even on the Deutsche Bank Championship scheduled for next week. To make a cut in the upcoming event, top 100s of the FedEx Cup points list is the criterion but still, the captain Pavin is constantly signaling that Woods is on the top of his wild card pick. This means that the world number 1 still has one chance to go.
On the other hand, the top five contenders on the FedEx Cup points list are making their way into the first round of the playoffs. They include Ernie Els, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose. Out of them, Els and Stricker are both tied with Woods and Padraig Harington for the second spot since last year.
The second most important event taking place this week is the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, Scotland. It will mark the end of European season and the selection of Team Europe. At one place, Miguel Angel Jimenez has decided to say goodbye to his nephew’s wedding due this Saturday and take part in the championship which will decide his fate for the Ryder cup team. Earlier, he had no plans for this tournament but after Peter Hanson’s victory at Czech open last week that kicked the 47-year-old Spanish from 8th spot to the 9th, this remedy has become essential.
The Johnnie Walker Championship will help Colin Montgomerie in deciding whom to discard and who to keep as 29th August will prove to be a ballot box pick for the lightning struck players. Meanwhile, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy will make their way to World Points list because of their top 1 finishes this season. Other than these four players, Francesco Molinari, Hanson and Jimenez are in the dangerous spots of 7 & 9.
This is it for the start of this week that will be hosting 2 major events of the season and also the future of the Ryder cup teams. According to experts, the season’s crucial time is here and the various questions circulating in the minds of media people, players and fans will be answered finally.
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