Carl Pettersson got it right on the opening day of the 94th PGA Championship with a six under par 66.
Unfortunately, the Golf Channel’s knowledgeable Frank Nobilo got it horribly wrong in sounding off at the European Tour in Pettersson’s failure ever to savour competition in a Ryder Cup.
Pettersson’s six under par score along the Kiawah Island shoreline is lowest ever round in 23 Major appearances since making his debut in the 2002 British Open. Also it was at the 2002 British Open where the Swede recorded his best round in a Major and that was a first round 67.
It's simply Carl Pettersson's fault he's never played in the Ryder Cup not the European Tour's. (Photo - Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
This year is the 34-year old Swede’s eighth PGA Championship with his best finish being 24th in his last appearance two years ago at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
“I played really good and obviously getting off to a good start was the key to the round,” said Pettersson.
“I birdied 1, 2 and 4, so I was 3‑under early. There really wasn’t much wind on the front nine, so I knew I had to keep going low because I figured the wind would get up.
“The wind started blowing a little bit on the back nine, and I carried on solid play, hitting a lot of fairways, hitting a lot of greens and making a few putts. So it was a great day for me.”
Pettersson’s good round to lead the 94th PGA Championship naturally brought into the spotlight his Ryder Cup plight.
Nobilo, in his post first round wrap-up, rightly stated the now 34-year old Swede had won four of his five PGA Tour events in years of a Ryder Cup but not once has the European Tour or a European Captain seen fit to include him in a European Team.
Those years include 2006 (Pettersson won the Memorial), 2008 (Pettersson won the Wyndham Championship), 2010 (Pettersson captured the Canadian Open) and earlier this year Pettersson won the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head.
Well the fact is Carl Pettersson has never represented Europe is not the fault of the European Team.
Here is some of the facts that should be known to the Golf Channel.
Firstly, Pettersson was a member of the European Tour in 2001 and 2002. At the end of 2002 he finished 21st at the PGA Tour School to secure his card for 2003 and he’s been a member of the PGA Tour ever since.
Not once since 2003 has Pettersson sought to make himself available for selection by reapplying for European Tour membership.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, let us look at this year.
At the start of 2012 Pettersson took out US citizenship. So he can now represent the USA team I hear you say. No, he can’t. Under the Ryder Cup guidelines to represent the USA team Pettersson would have had to be a US citizen at age 18.
Also at the commencement of 2012 Pettersson was ranked 110th on the World Rankings.
He had not qualified for any of the four Majors so Pettersson’s thoughts were hardly on a making a Ryder Cup team but more importantly getting himself back inside the top-100 or maybe into the top-50 on the World Rankings.
It is incidental that Pettersson is now ranked 36th in the world.
Thirdly, Pettersson also is now living full time in the US and along with his young family, he’s a resident of Raleigh, North Carolina.
If Pettersson was to be considered for European Ryder Cup selection then he would have had to have taken out European Tour membership just as Scotland’s Martin Laird, and fellow North Carolina resident, did at the start of 2012.
So with a young family it would seem understandable Pettersson does not warm to the thought of having to also play a full European Tour schedule of a minimum of 13 events to satisfy membership guidelines.
There’s no point in singling out the European Tour for not including Pettersson in a Ryder Cup team when the burly Swede has done nothing whatsoever to make himself available for selection.
Last week Brandel Chamblee was left choking on his words after England’s Lee Slattery shared eighth place with Tiger Woods and Luke Donald.
So for a second week running strike another mark against the Golf Channel.
