Potential future Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington has praised the move for the 2016 European Ryder Cup process to commence in Russia.
The European Tour, in an historic first, announced today the year-long process to select the European Ryder Cup team begins with the September 3rd starting M2M Russian Open in Moscow.
In previous years qualifying for the European Ryder Cup Team has begun in Germany and Switzerland while for the 2014 Ryder Cup, the 2013 Italian Open heralded the start of qualifying.
“It’s a good thing not only for the European Tour but golf in general,” said Harrington.
Padraig Harrington says taking the start of the 2016 Ryder Cup qualifying process to Russia is a good move. (Photo Thos Caffrey, www.golffile.ie)
“The European Tour needs to move east big time and I mean not only east as in terms of already being out in Asia but we need to embrace Eastern Europe more.
“The Tour doesn’t have big events in Eastern Europe and I would like to think there is growth there for the game of golf.
“And for 2016 Ryder Cup qualifying to be starting in Moscow has to be good as it will increase the profile not only of the Ryder Cup in Eastern Europe but also the European Tour and golf in the bigger picture.
“So the more events there is in Europe, and here I am including Russia in Europe and even though it is not part of the European Union, the better it is as far as I am concerned so that will help in driving the game forward.
Padraig Harrington insists his shoulder is 100% fit. (Photo Thos Caffrey, www.golffile.ie)
“And while there is a Russian Open on the European Tour schedule, Russia surely is an untapped market in golf.
“You only have to look at how far China has progressed in terms of golf given I read that this year was the 10th anniversary of the Volvo China Open being on European Tour calendar”.
In fact, the Russian Open is just one year younger with the first European Tour sanctioned Russian Open staged in 1996.
And contrary to some reports, Harrington still has two opportunities remaining in order to qualify for next month’s U.S. Open.
On Monday, Harrington missed out by a shot in making a play-off in a 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier at Walton Heath in Surrey, England.
Padraig Harrington confirming he still has two bites remaining to qualify for next month’s US Open. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
However the current World No. 86 still has two avenues open to earn a Chambers Bay tee time.
Firstly a top-three finish at this week’s Irish Open, and an event he won in 2007, would see him move into the top-60 on the World Rankings and qualify.
Harrington has also entered next fortnight’s PGA Tour St. Jude FedEx Classic in Memphis where a similar finish would also suffice.
“I need to win 25 World Ranking points either this week or in the St. Jude Classic, something like that and I should qualify for the U.S. Open,” he said to reporters.
“So a win here this week in the Irish Open or a win in Memphis would easily take of it while something close to that will push me across the line”.
And the triple Major winner, who had to withdraw after just two holes in the first round of last week’s BMW PGA Championship, indicated his injured left shoulder had healed sufficiently to take his place in this week’s Irish Open.
“The shoulder is back to 100% and I would crawl to the tee if I have to, to tee up this week,” he said.
“I hit about 25 bags of balls on the Saturday and about 20 on the Sunday, and that was the way I used to hit the ball in the past.
“I was trying to change my swing back to way I used to swing the ball before but then when I went to the gym in getting back to Europe.”
