Irishman Des Smyth has defended the absent of Europe’s leading golfers from this week’s Seve Trophy in France.
The six leading GB & I qualifiers, including the US Open winning trio of Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, along with Europe’s Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer turned their backs on teeing up at St. Nom-la-Breteche.
Fellow Medinah miracle worker, Paul Lawrie was very outspoken over the absence of his 2012 Ryder Cup winning colleagues vowing ‘he would walk to Paris’ if it meant competing in the Seve Trophy.
Des Smyth sympathises with Seve Trophy absentees and also throws his hat into Gleneagles Ryder Cup vice-captaincy ring. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
However Smyth, who never played in the Seve Trophy, insists you cannot single out the missing eight players for criticism.
“That is always the difficult one at this time of year, at the end of a very long season,” he said while competing in the English Seniors Open.
“A lot of the big players who are high in the world rankings kind of know they are in good shape for the Ryder Cup and they have had a long hard season.
“They will probably watch the Presidents Cup who will be their main opposition and then the guys who are on the Seve Trophy team they are aspiring players to the team and they want to prove how good they are and you could argue one way or another.
“But the schedules are hectic and the players must make decisions because if they want to be up in the world ranking or if they want to make the Ryder Cup next year and be in top shape for it, they have to plan properly.”
As well, Smyth believes too much can be read into some players not participating.
“I don’t think Henrik Stenson is playing for the Europeans – it hit homes more because of where these guys are ranked,” he said.
“But it gives guys an opportunity – you have Sam Torrance captain and Paul McGinley is there and they will be watching these players and have match-ups and the Ryder Cup will be here before we know it and they will learn quite a bit this week.”
And Smith, who was Ryder Cup vice captain under Ian Woosnam at the K-Club in 2006 revealed he would consider the role again if approached by fellow Irishman Paul McGinley to be a vice-captain at Gleneagles.
“If I am offered the job I would be delighted but I have not heard anything,” he said.
“I was vice captain under Woosnam in Ireland, and we are delighted that Paul is captain. We were the only home nation without one and Paul is very much the right man for the job.”
