European Ryder Cup Captain Padraig Harrington had half the number of picks to make – three – compared to U.S. Captain Steve Stricker but that didn’t make the decision-making process any easier in filling out his roster for the 43rd Ryder Cup.
Harrington opted to go with veteran Ryder Cup stalwarts in Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter and rookie Shane Lowry.
On the final day of qualifying, Bernd Wiesberger and Lee Westwood squeaked on to the team as the final of nine automatic qualifying spots.
Harrington had previously said that Garcia and Poulter were virtual locks. That left one spot for either first-timer Shane Lowry or a third veteran in England’s Justin Rose, 41, who went 2-2 in 2018 and had an overall record of 13-8-2 in his five previous Cup appearances.
Lowry, the 34-year-old Irishman, won the 2019 British Open to stake his claim to his Ryder Cup debut for Team Europe. He’ll be one of three rookies on the European side.
“Nobody thinks of him as a rookie,” Harrington said. “Shane is a big-time player … It was an easy pick based on his form.”
“I thought I did enough before this week to make the team,” said Lowry, who was in the players lounge when Harrington called him into “the Principal’s office,” and received the good word. “I’m just incredibly happy, incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved.”
If there are 12 Europeans better than Lowry, I'd be surprised. Would also be a great team player. I reckon Rory wants him too.
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) September 12, 2021
Garcia, 41, didn’t play the BMW PGA Championship after competing in the FedEx Cup playoffs. A veteran of nine Ryder Cups, the Spaniard went 3-1 at the 2018 Ryder Cup to become Europe’s all-time leading points scorer with 25.5 points (22-12-7).
“This is something that he was made for,” Harrington said of Garcia’s Ryder Cup record. “He’s a very rounded player and there’s not a player on the team that doesn’t want to play with him.”
Poulter, 45, is set to compete in his seventh Ryder Cup. Nicknamed “The Postman” because he always delivers on Sunday – undefeated in six singles matches (5-0-1) – the Englishman went 2-2 in 2018 and owns an impressive lifetime mark of 14-6-2.
“He brings an unbelievable passion to the team room. He lifts himself, he lifts his partner, he lifts the team,” Harrington said. “I’m not just getting a player like Ian Poulter who delivers but I’m getting a player who is in form, great form, probably the best form of his life and I’m looking forward to having him there and bringing that passion and heart to the team.”
“For Paddy to call me today and say I want you as part of my team, it’s emotional,” Poulter said. “It’s a stacked team. I’m excited. I’m proud. My chest has been getting work the last few weeks, trying to do as many press-ups as I possibly can and hole as many putts as I possibly can to bring as many points as I can to this team.”
Captain’s picks date to 1979 for Team Europe and 1989 for the American side with the Europeans sporting a 74-71-14, and the American selections an all-time record of 49-54-20.
“There’s no point going over just to make up numbers,” Lowry said. “We want to go over and win and I have that in my head. I’ve said that all year, I don’t want to be there just to say I’ve played the Ryder Cup. I want to go and I want to make it count.”
The 43rd Ryder Cup will be held Sept. 24-26 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
