Photograph: Sandra Mailer/REX/Shutterstockīefore Harrington offered his hand, Billy Horschel had become only the second American – after the late, great Arnold Palmer – to win the PGA Championship. “He has played great all year, he is probably in the form of his life.”īilly Horschel with the PGA Championship trophy.
“He brings incredible passion to the team room and his matches but you can’t pick a player based on that,” said Harrington of Poulter. Poulter, an icon of the European Ryder Cup scene, was picked from 49th in the world, seven places behind Rose. Sergio is a rounded Ryder Cup player – there isn’t a member of the team who wouldn’t want to play with him.” He likes the responsibility of being around the younger guys. He just loves the Ryder Cup and everything about it. I’m relying on him to stand up there and be a leader. On García, Harrington said: “He is a leader. It was an easy pick based on his form he delivered for me and all the vice-captains.” Shane is a big-time player, he is never better than when he is on the big stage. Shane has good, consistent form and this brought him to this place. “His stats are great, he is one of our leading players. “He is well suited to the course and conditions we expect,” said Harrington of his fellow Irishman.
Lowry, the 2019 Open champion, will make his Ryder Cup debut in Wisconsin. However, his 2021 form was insufficient even for a place in the first round of the PGA Tour play-offs, which included 125 players. Rose has played in five Ryder Cups, Europe winning three times. “You can only blame yourself if you don’t get in and don’t get picked,” Rose said. Rose closed with a terrific 65 for a share of sixth in the final qualifying event, with Harrington delivering a very public blow to the 2016 Olympic gold medal winner just hours later. The final place became a matter of great complication, linked to automatic spots in the European team sealed in the PGA Championship at Wentworth.
García and Poulter were always regarded as automatic Harrington choices.