With less than 24 hours remaining until Darren Clarke names his three captain’s picks for the European Ryder Cup team, who are the outsiders deserving of consideration?
Sunday was a big day in the run-up to the Ryder Cup, as while the automatic qualifiers for the US team were finalized, the European players also got their last chance to impress Darren Clarke and earn a captain’s pick.
Thomas Pieters certainly took full advantage of his opportunity by finishing with three straight birdies to clinch the Made In Denmark for his third European Tour win, but he will be among many who will have to wait and see if that will be enough.
Although many were close enough to have had the chance to work their way into the European team with strong play in recent weeks, there’s been an unusual situation where there’s been something of a consensus on who Darren Clarke’s picks should be among analysts, writers and fans alike.
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Lee Westwood has been seen by many to be a certainty to play under the stewardship of his close friend, Clarke, and make his 10th Ryder Cup appearance, while Russell Knox’s strong PGA Tour play has made him a popular choice too.
Our own Sam Belden even opted for that duo (along with another player who we’ll discuss in greater detail later) when he assessed Clarke’s prospective picks a few days ago.
If there are to be some surprise inclusions when Clarke makes his announcement on Tuesday morning at 7.30 am ET, who could they be?
Let’s take a close look at some of the options.
Next: Thomas Pieters