European Ryder Cup selection unchanged
Faldo will be hoping to repeat Woosnam's 2006 success
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Friday, 02, Feb 2007 01:04
The selection process used for picking players for Europe's Ryder Cup team will remain unchanged for the 2008 competition.
European officials have announced that the existing system, which has been used since 2004, will not be altered for the selection of the team to travel to the United States next September.
A total of 12 players will be chosen using a combination of the top five world ranking-point winners, the top five highest earners from the European Tour Order of Merit and two wildcard picks chosen by team captain Nick Faldo.
Europe triumphed over the United States in the 2006 Ryder Cup, in part thanks to the form of captain Ian Woosnam's two wildcards - Irish hero Darren Clarke and England's Lee Westwood - but Faldo said there was no question of including more than two selections for him this year.
"The expression 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' applies here," said Faldo.
"This same selection process has been successful on both sides of the Atlantic - at Oakland Hills in 2004 and The K Club in 2006."
The US team have decided to double the number of wildcard selections allowed by their captain Paul Azinger after their 18½ to 9½ drubbing at the Irish course last autumn but Faldo added that this would not change the Europeans' way of thinking.
"By using the world ranking and the Order of Merit as the principal means to determine the ten qualifiers, I am confident that Europe will have the nucleus of a highly competitive team, allowing me sufficient freedom to make my two captain's picks."
The 2008 Ryder Cup will take place at Valhalla golf club in Kentucky on the weekend of September 19th-21st.