Former Celtic Manor victorious captain Colin Montgomerie says he’s ‘feels’ for fellow Russell Knox after his fellow Scot was snubbed for a Hazeltine ‘wildcard’ pick.
And while expressing support for the PGA Tour based Knox, Monty has also questioned whether 2016 European Team captain, Darren Clarke will have got it right in picking Belgium’s Thomas Pieters in lieu of Knox.
By selecting the 24-year-old Peiters, Clarke ignored the ultra-strong claims of Knox, who won twice in the 50-week qualifying period and was runner-up in a third PGA Tour counting event.
“Selecting Thomas was out of left field, I suppose,” Montgomerie said of Pieters’ wildcard selection.
“It happened very, very quickly, the way Thomas finished second and then first in the last weeks of qualifying. That doesn’t hurt. I did something similar with Edoardo Molinari, you know. He won the last event and I couldn’t really leave him out.
Colin Montgomerie feels for Russell Knox but questions whether Darren Clarke has got it right selecting Thomas Pieters. (Photo – European Tour)
“It is a shame, I feel for Shane Lowry, I feel for Russell Knox, I feel for the others, I always feel for people that don’t make it that feel they have a (claim).
“It is pro-European in that (Pieters) is a guy that plays mostly on the European Tour. We’ll just have to wait and see and let’s hope that Darren’s made the right call and that when Thomas Pieters goes out, he brings in points. It all depends on results, at the end of the day.”
Monty enjoys one of the best Ryder Cup records in the history of the event having represented Europe eight time and winning 23.5 points.
And while supporting U.S. skipper Davis Love III’s decision to delay the naming of his picks to well after Clarke named his, Monty’s worried about Love 111 leaving his last pick to Sunday night September 25th and at half-time in NBCs coverage of Sunday Night NFL Football and the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears.
Love, whose eight automatic qualifiers included only one rookie in Brooks Koepka, named Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, and JB Holmes as his first three picks on Monday, omitting two-time Masters champions Bubba Watson, describing that as a big call.
“Picking JB Holmes ahead of Bubba, he’s not in now but he might well be. But he’ll be Davis’s fourth pick, his last pick and that’s a very difficult thing to be,” said Montgomerie.
“If you’re picked (together) you’re one of three or one of four but now he’ll be very much number four and that’s a difficult position for anybody to be in, whether it’s Bubba or anybody.
It’s a big call. Bubba Watson’s seventh in the world and that’s a big call but he’s not out yet. I think it’s all down to East Lake (and the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship starting September 22) and whoever wins between Justin Thomas and Bubba seems to be getting the nod. That seems to be the way they’re going and Davis has some leeway there because even if Justin Thomas is picked that’s only the second rookie, so he’s in a stronger place than Darren having rookies to pick.
“So, yes, it’s a big call … what it will mean for Bubba’s psychology if he does play, knowing that he’s very much the 12th man in the team.”
