Uncertainties Surround Field At Ryder Cup

Ryder Cup captains Lanny Wadkins and Bernard Gallacher are two days from the opening matches, but still unsure who’s hot and who’s not in the American and European fields.

Hardly anybody qualifies, judging from recent results.

Only Sam Torrance, at 42 the senior citizen on Gallacher’s European challengers, and Colin Montgomerie have won lately.

Torrance stepped off the Concorde fresh from winning the British Masters; he also has three seconds in his last six tournaments.

Montgomerie has two victories in the last four weeks and a tie for seventh in the British Masters.

“Look at somebody like Sam and Colin, they’re two of the best players in the world right now,” European player Mark James said. “They’re doing everything right.”

Few of the others are, including the Americans. None has won a tournament since Corey Pavin’s U.S. Open title in June; Jay Haas closed with a 64 to finish tied for fifth in last week’s B.C. Open at nearby Endicott, N.Y.

Peter Jacobsen, Fred Couples and Brad Faxon also made the cut, but Davis Love and Loren Roberts missed. Couples shot a pair of 68s.

Of perhaps more concern are others who haven’t played at all. Pavin, Phil Mickelson and Ben Crenshaw haven’t competed since the World Series of Golf nearly a month ago, and Jeff Maggert hasn’t played since clinching his spot on the team at the PGA Championship in Los Angeles.

American captain Wadkins seems unconcerned.

“Everybody seems to be swinging good, and it’s only Tuesday,” he said. “It’s been a few weeks since they’ve seen greens this smooth and fast, so there’ll be some adjustment.

“But the guys who haven’t played, they’re veterans and they know how to get ready.”

Couples said the players laugh over such worries.

“I mean, a guy misses a cut four weeks before the Ryder Cup and all of a sudden he’s not playing well,” Couples said. “I think it gets analyzed too much.

“We know how big it is, but it gets a little out of hand sometimes. It’s hard for me to get pumped up like Paul Azinger does.”

It’s not hard for Haas.

“I’m pumped and have been ever since my position on the team was secure,” he said.

Like Wadkins, Gallacher seemed carefree, sensing that another two days of practice will have players on both sides ready.

“They’re all great players,” Gallacher said. “I think the occasion will bring the players up who maybe have played indifferently the last few weeks.

“These players have played their way onto the teams and maybe had their mind on the Ryder Cup. That can affect their form leading up to the Cup.”

Gallacher also noted that as captain, he’ll be alert for that.

“We do have the flexibility not to put players on the course that maybe aren’t playing well the first few days,” he said.

Ian Woosnam envisions everyone’s games meshing when team play starts with alternate-shot and best-ball competition Friday.

“It’s a different feeling altogether,” said the Welshman, a replacement for Jose Maria Olazabal and his ailing toe.

“When you’re playing for yourself, if you shoot 80, it doesn’t really matter. But when you’re playing in a team of 12 people, it’s a different ballgame altogether. It gives you inspiration.”

Notes

While rival captains must worry daily about the backs of Couples and Bernhard Langer, the health of both sides seems good.

Nick Faldo said his “jarred wrist” wasn’t a problem. “I’ve done good practicing and I’ve been in and out of the gym every day, stretching and all sorts of things,” he said. “I feel like I’m in great shape.”

David Gilford had a heavy cold over the weekend, but Gallacher pronounced him OK… .

Greens were reading a swift 12 on the stimp meter Tuesday, but Wadkins rejected any thought that the fast greens, normally quicker than those on the European tour, would favor the Americans.

“Hey, they have several Masters champions on their team; I think they’ve played fast greens OK,” Wadkins said with a laugh. “And they won the Ryder Cup at Muirfield Village when they were the fastest greens in the world.”…

Gallacher has a chore this year no European Ryder Cup captain has had in eight years: finding a partner for Seve Ballesteros.

Gallacher said he’s having no problem finding someone to replace Seve’s usual partner, Olazabal.

“There’s no problem at all - everybody wants to play with Seve,” Gallacher said.