Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal has slammed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell for not making the effort to compete in last week’s Vivendi Seve Trophy.
Olazabal was in France all last week overseeing the biennial competition won by Paul McGinley’s GB & I side by three points from a Continental Europe team led by Jean Van de Velde.
Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal with GB & I winning captain, Paul McGinley. (Photo - Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ie)
But despite mailing letters to as many as three dozen prospective players on both sides some of Europe’s leading players elected not to make themselves available.
However before Olazabal heads to the States later this week as part of the ‘2012 Ryder Cup – A Year to Go’ activities, he revealed the 2013 Vivendi Seve Trophy will move to a new location and a new date so that the likes of McIlroy, Kaymer and McDowell, who ‘tweeted’ to Ian Poulter that he was lying on a Florida beach enjoying the sunshine, will not have an excuse to miss the event.
“In two years time we are hoping this event moves to the week of the Presidents Cup, and after the end of the FedEx Cup, and if that is the case there will no excuse not to be present,” said Olazabal.
“The players that were here this week played out of respect for Seve and to Seve’s memory.
“We all know how instrumental Seve had been to the growth of the European Tour.
“I know the younger generation did not have the chance to play when Seve was around but we are here playing on the European Tour in many ways because of Seve, and also because of Woosie, Sandy and players like Nick Faldo.
“But Seve was the first man who was instrumental in turning things around on the European Tour for the better and the younger players now on the European Tour need to remember that.
“They should make a little extra effort and make this event what it deserves to be.
“So that will be the idea of moving it so that there are no more excuses.”
And the Spaniard was also very impressed with a number of the less experienced players who could very well qualify for his Medinah side.
“It was interesting to see how the younger players handled the competition like Jamie Donaldson who played really well and Simon Dyson is on a roll at the moment,” said Olazabal.
“The young kids like Pablo Larrazabal and Matteo Manassero will benefit enormously from playing in this format, and it’s the same with Alexander Noren.
“It’s a great learning experience for them and the week has been a great learning experience for me.”
And Olazabal was asked if he’s been impressed by McGinley leadership qualities given he has now captained two winning GB & I sides and was a vice-captain at last year’s Ryder Cup in Wales.
“I am very impressed with Paul and the leadership qualities I saw this week are the same qualities I saw in Paul last year at Celtic Manor,” said Olazabal.
“He has a great personality. He knows his players very well and that’s one of the best things about Paul that is so close to all the players on both sides.
“He was also very respected by both sides and that is very important. If you want someone to lead a team you have to have all those elements.
“Paul has always been high in my estimation and having seen how he performed at Celtic Manor, and how he did his job my estimation of him is still very high.”
But when Olazabal was quizzed if he would take McGinley to Medinah as a vice-captain should he not qualify for the European side, Olazabal was keeping his cards close to his chest.
“First of all I don’t want to mention any names because there is a lot of good players who could still make the team like Paul, Thomas Bjorn, who is playing well, and Miguel (Angel Jimenez),” said Olazabal.
“I also think Paul has still got the game to make my team but then if he doesn’t make the team, and a couple of others also don’t make the team, then Paul and those players have a huge chance of being there as my vice-captains.”
