Darren Clarke Not About To ‘Insult’ Potential European Ryder Cup Qualifiers.

European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke in not about to follow his USA team rival insisting he will wait till after next April’s Masters before naming any of his five Hazeltine vice-captains.

USA captain Davis Love 111 recently announced an additional three vice-captains, including 14-time Major winning Tiger Woods, to make-up five vice-captains in his team and surprisingly more than 10 months before the biannual competition in September 2016.

However Clarke, who is contesting this week’s Australian Open in Sydney, says he has no intention of following suit and will wait until the completion of next season’s first Major at Augusta National.

“Choosing vice-captains is a tricky thing as the European Tour formula has always been that our vice-captains are prospective captains and guys still playing because those guys are still very, very good players,” said Clarke.

Darren Clarke says he's not about to 'insult' any potential 2016 European Ryder Cup player by naming them, before the Masters, as a vice-captain.

Darren Clarke says he’s not about to ‘insult’ any potential 2016 European Ryder Cup player by naming them, before the Masters, as a vice-captain.

“So I am not going to be choosing vice-captains until I know really they are not going to qualify automatically for the team and I don’t want to insult anybody.

“So I will be leaving the issue of picking my vice-captains to Augusta next year to assess how some of the guys are doing but I will rather wait given one or two of them may have a great start to the New Year.

“Certainly I have five guys in mind who I would like to be a part of my team but I will wait and see if they have a great start to the New Year and in that way I will have all the experience I want before considering my vice-captains.”

Clarke was also responding to reports Dane Thomas Bjorn will be among his five vice-captains, and with close friend Lee Westwood eager for a Hazeltine support role should he not qualify for Clarke’s side.

However Clarke has singled out Love 111 for praise in recently adding Tiger Woods as one of his vice-captains despite the prospect that Woods could very well play his way into an eighth Ryder Cup.

“I am sure we all agree a fit Tiger Woods competing is only good for the game as so many people want to see how he is playing and whether he’s playing great or playing poorly the interest he generates is huge for the game.” said Clarke.

“I think with Tiger, and knowing him as well as I do, he will be massive for the team and he will be involved as he’s shown us by accepting Davis’ invitation but then he will also be trying desperately to be playing on the team.

“But then when you have a player of Tiger’s stature involved in their team and the fact there a lot of young kids on the American team would not have seen Tiger compete though they would be only too aware of how good he was and how good a track record he has.

“So certainly, Tiger’s a great addition to Davis’ side whether that be playing or behind the scenes as a vice-captain.”

 



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