European Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal could breathe a sigh of relief after fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia cemented his place for Medinah.
Garcia timelessly ended afour-year PGA Tour drought in capturing the rain-affected Wyndham Championship.
Victory moved Garcia to sixth overall on the European points table and the certain assurance ofcompeting in a sixth Ryder Cup, and for a first time also in four years after being on the losing 2008 European Team.
In fact, Garcia would have broken into the top-10 on the points table by finishing third in North Carolina.
Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal is a lone figure on the Gleneagles practice range. (Photo - Stuart Adams/www.golftourimages.com)
Olazabal was a lone figure on the Gleneagles range late today, and venue for this week’s Johnnie Walker Championship, at the same time Garcia was working his way towards final round 66 to win by two strokes, and with victory sending the 32-year old Garcia also moving from 29th to 17th on the World Rankings.
“It was great news and that’s one person to worry about,” said Olazabal.
“I’m very pleased for Sergio and it’s great for the European Team to have someone of his calibre playing well.”
Olazabal had spoken in glowing terms of Garcia a fortnight ago and ahead of the recent PGA Championship.
“Well,you’ve seen him play a Ryder Cup. He’s a great team player,” said Olazabal in South Carolina.
“His spirit is always really good. And in that regard, I think he’s a great asset to the team. He has the experience, the knowledge. He wants to be part of it.”
Olazabal has returned to Europe for this week’s final Ryder Cup qualifying event in Scotland havingspent three days in Chicago and at the Medinah course getting familiar with thevenue for the September 28th commencing showdown.
“The course is excellent condition overall,” said Olazabal.
“There’s not much rough which is good, so that will allow the guys to play golf.
“The tees are in great shape while the greens are also good shape.
“The only real work that needs to be done is on the fairways and the greens staff atMedinah are working hard now that the temperatures are cooling down abit.”
It’s now left to Olazabal to choose his two ‘wildcard’ picks with Poulter, should henot break back into the top-10, a certainty to get one pick and the other likely tobe handed to Belguim’s big-hitting Nicolas Colsearts, who continued to display his good form this season by finishing in a share of seventh place in North Carolina with asimilar last day 66 as Garcia.
Colsearts also left the U.S. and bound for this week’s Johnnie Walker Championship at thelongest hitter over the four days at the Wyndham Championship.
Olazabal’s other choice this coming week will be to choose a fourth vice-captain with compatriot Miguel Angel Jimenez more than likely to join Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn as Olazabal’s back room team.
