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Big names could miss Ryder Cup

By BOB HARIG

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 23, 2001

The U.S. Ryder Cup team is set, but who the Americans will play next month is to be determined. And it appears more likely that the European team will be missing some marquee players.

Bernhard Langer and Sergio Garcia missed the cut at the PGA Championship, blowing a chance to earn points in a race determined by money earnings in events that count on the European tour. Ian Woosnam, 16th in the standings, and Jose Maria Olazabal, 19th, finished well back.

Langer is in ninth place and will earn more points at this week's NEC Invitational. But captain Sam Torrance has some tough choices to make.

"It's a bad situation," said Sweden's Jesper Parnevik, who is expected to be a captain's selection. "It's hard to imagine the Ryder Cup team without Olazabal. There are so many guys I would like to see on the team -- Woosnam, (Nick) Faldo is playing well again, Olazabal."

Garcia is also considered a strong candidate to be picked, based on his excellent play with partner Parnevik two years ago. But Torrance hoped he would make the team on his own, giving him a bit more flexibility. That now appears unlikely. He will make his selections Sept. 2.

"I've said this for many years, that I would have a lot more (captain's) selections than we have," Scotland's Colin Montgomerie said. "We have a number of players playing in the United States now, and it does seem that 10 and two does not quite fit our team selection the way it does the American team. They don't play on different tours as much as we do. We need more picks to cater for that."

Monty is right. The idea was to force European players to play their home tour to earn Ryder Cup points, a tactic that has not worked. Olazabal, Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, Garcia, Parnevik, Faldo and Langer have played full PGA Tour schedules this year. The reason is obvious: more money and better preparation for the major tournaments.

As much as players want to make the Ryder Cup team, they are not inclined to sacrifice an entire year to be part of the matches.

"We do need the strongest 12 players to compete," Montgomerie said.

Instead, some will be left out.

FRED FINISHED?: Fred Couples has no top-10 finishes this year and playing that kind of golf does not excite him. Although he played reasonably well at the PGA Championship, Couples hinted that he might not keep at it much longer.

The 41-year-old has been hampered by back problems.

"I don't want people out there thinking that I'm not trying and being a poor sport about it and giving up," said Couples, who has 14 PGA Tour victories, including the 1992 Masters. "I've been out here 21 years, and you can sometimes see the writing on the wall."

TIGER ON AUGUSTA: Tiger Woods is among many who believe officials at Augusta National Golf Club may have gone too far in making changes to their course for the Masters.

"I think they may have stretched it too much, making some of the holes 40, 50, 60 yards longer," Woods said. He said he fears, for example, that the great risk/reward nature of the par-5 13th will be gone now that the hole is 30 yards longer.

"Now a lot of guys will be laying up," he said. "You're going to see less 7's and less 3's and you'll probably see a lot of 4's and 5's."

The course has been lengthened by nearly 300 yards with an emphasis on accuracy off the tee.

TAMPA BAY CLASSIC: Orlando's Ty Tryon could be making his professional debut at the Tampa Bay Classic. About to enter his junior year of high school, Tryon is set to turn pro and will seek sponsor's exemptions for the rest of the year before giving the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament a try. Whether he makes the tour or not, he intends to finish high school and will play 15 pro events a year, mostly in the summer. The Tampa Bay Classic is Sept. 13-16 at the Westin Innisbrook Resort and is attracting several up-and-coming players, including Charles Howell, David Gossett, Bryce Molder and Luke Donald. Howell has won nearly $1.2-million this year, Gossett won the John Deere Classic. Molder and Donald are making their pro debuts this week in Reno-Tahoe. ... The tournament is in need of standard-bearers. For more information, call (727) 942-5566.

U.S. AMATEUR: Jeff Quinney, 22, remained on course to become the first repeat champion since Woods, beating former Arizona State teammate Chez Reavie 4 and 3 as match play began in Atlanta.

-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

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