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No pressure Euro captain Torrance 'promises' Garcia Ryder Cup spot
Updated: Wednesday August 29, 2001 10:43 PM
MUNICH (Reuters) -- European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance confirmed on Wednesday that Sergio Garcia was certain of a place in his team to face the United States at The Belfry in England next month. Speaking on the eve of the BMW International, the final tournament to count for points towards a Cup spot, Torrance said: "I've promised Sergio he's in, whatever he does here. I told him a while ago." Garcia has come to the Munich event to try to get into the team automatically and has his eye on Briton Phillip Price's 10th place in the Cup standings -- the only spot under great threat. If the young Spaniard does not make it, he will still play his second Ryder Cup. "Even so, he offered to come here to play," Torrance added, "which is a very nice gesture from one so young. He knows by making it, he might help the team.
"He's exceptional and he's come on by leaps and bounds since the last Ryder Cup. He's won twice in America this year and is No. 7 in the world." Asked about the other wild card, Torrance avoided Jasper Parnevik's name, although the captain has said for some time the Swede was a favorite for one of his picks. Torrance said: "If Olly [Jose Maria Olazabal] ran second in the tournament and jumped up to 11th, or Paul Lawrie, or any established Ryder Cup player with bottle [courage] did so, it would definitely put the cat among the pigeons. "There are definitely three or four contenders. But I'm not looking forward to telling people they are not in. "I'll have to be blunt and say 'sorry, I'm not going to pick you', and give my reasons. I will be making two very happy."
The golfers occupying places 11-23 -- Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Andrew Olcorn, Andrew Coltart, Mathias Gronberg, Ian Woosnam, Robert Karlsson, Jose Maria Olazabal, Garcia, Thomas Levet, Lawrie, Warren Bennett and Dean Robertson -- could overtake Price if he misses the cut and they earn the 300,000 points on offer for first place in Munich. Torrance said: "I am very, very excited. I have been in the position a few of them are in and I know what it entails. "It's a testament to the quality of our Tour now that all the way down to 23rd can still make it. "I've told them 'stick in, you can still make it.'" Bernhard Langer can be squeezed out from ninth spot in the table if he misses the cut but the German will be looking to go one better than his second place in Munich behind Thomas Bjorn last year.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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