Paul Lawrie has ruled himself out of any 2016 Ryder Cup captaincy vote and instead will strive to qualify automatically for next year’s Hazeltine team.
The question of a replacement for victorious Gleneagles captain, Paul McGinley is on the agenda for discussion at Tuesday’s Players Championship Committee meeting in Doha, and venue for the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
Paul Lawrie says he is not contender for the 2016 Ryder Cup captaincy. (Photo – Stuart Adams/www.golffile.ie)
However the decision to appoint a new captain has been taken out of the hands of the Players Committee, and instead is now the decision of a new five-man committee comprising the past three European Team captains, the Tour’s CEO and David Howell, representing the Players Committee.
Lawrie, who turned 46 on 1st January, stressed his stance after posting a third round 67 to move to eight under par in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
He said: “I wouldn’t think that my name is in the mix to be the next European Team captain, and I haven’t put my hand up because my goal is to be playing in the team.
“I feel as though my game will be still good enough to play in a Ryder Cup, and if I am healthy I am going to have a chance of qualifying.
“That’s my thinking and if I don’t, I don’t but if they do ask me then I will have to consider that but I can’t see them asking.”
The choice of replacement for McGinley is a two-man contest between Darren Clarke and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, and with Clarke still the red-hot favourite.
