Swiss Watch Mens | Stylish Discount Watches | Hot Sale Replica Watches

Donald the diplomat appeals for overhaul of Ryder Cup selection

The Ryder Cup recrimination duly followed the Ryder Cup rejection yesterday, with one member of the European Tour's board of directors accusing Colin Montgomerie of "bottling it" by selecting Padraig Harrington over Paul Casey and another of the wild-card picks, Luke Donald, slating the qualifying system.

The Europe captain stated on Sunday that his dozen to face America in four weeks' time would not please everybody – and so it proved. Donald did not direct his ire at the man who selected him alongside Harrington and Edoardo Molinari as the three wild cards, but instead the process which decided the top nine who automatically go to Celtic Manor.

"I feel especially bad for Paul, being No 8 in the world, third at this year's Open, great match-play record," said Donald. "I think how it went this year the European team has to look harder at the qualification system and whether it's the correct way to do it. If we win it's very beneficial for the European Tour in terms of their image and finances. So it's in their best interests that they have the best side."

Donald is particularly concerned that the European professionals based in America are operating under too much of a disadvantage. The top four qualify by right on a "world points" list, then the next five qualify through the "European points list".

The same players tend to top both lists, but while a tournament anywhere in the world can count for the world points list, only European Tour events qualify for the European points list. So players such as Casey and Justin Rose, who play fewer European Tour events but who excel in the US, are at a disadvantage.

Furthermore, with the standard of the European Tour being lower than that of the US, it is easier to come fifth-to-ninth on the European points list than on the world list.

If the system was flipped – the first four taken from the European points list, the next five from the world list – then the top nine would have included Donald, Harrington, Rose and Molinari, leaving Montgomerie able to pick all of his world top 25 players.

"Golf is becoming a world game and I understand they want to protect the European Tour," said Donald, the world No 11, who has played four tournaments in Europe this year. "But at the same time the top guys are going to want to play against the best players in the world no matter what and you shouldn't be penalised for that."

drive from www.independent.co.uk