Paul Casey a surprise omission from Colin Montgomerie's Ryder Cup team

Published on Sunday 29 August 2010 20:57

COLIN Montgomerie, the European captain, last night defended his shock decision to leave world No 9 Paul Casey out of his team for Celtic Manor and said Edoardo Molinari had made the call to hand him one of the wild cards instead "easy" after winning the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

• Colin Montgomerie stands by his men after announcing the 12 players who will face the Americans at Celtic Manor Picture: Ian Rutherford

Molinari, who will join his younger brother, Francesco, in the 12-man team to face the Americans in Wales on 1-3 October, was handed one of the three picks along with three-time major winner Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald, the world No 10, after recording his second success of the season on Scottish soil.

Casey, who has played in the last three Ryder Cups, had gone into the final week of qualifying lying tenth - just one spot outside the automatic places - in the European standings, but, contrary to popular belief, the Englishman was below both Harrington and Donald in the pecking order for wild cards.

Montgomerie, who also revealed that Sergio Garcia will be joining Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley on his backroom team in Newport, described his 12-man side as "fabulously strong" and is confident it can regain the trophy following a 16.5-11.5 defeat at Valhalla two years ago.

The wild card trio join Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Francesco Molinari, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson in the European team, the latter two having secured the final automatic berths at the end of a year-long battle for places.

Asked to explain his wild card selections, the Scot said: "Padraig Harrington has won three majors in the last three years and has the stature of someone we feel that no-one wants to play in match-play. He's a great competitor and is someone who brings everything to the team that we know about European golf.

"In Luke Donald, we have someone that can compete in foursomes and fourball golf and, in seven games in the Ryder Cup, he has only lost one of them.

"As for Edoardo Molinari, I don't think I've ever seen a finish of that quality under such pressure by anyone. His win was one of the finest I have witnessed in my 25 years on Tour and all credit to him."

The Italians will become the first brothers to play in the biennial match since Bernard and Geoffrey Hunt in 1963, and Montgomerie admitted Edoardo's feat in following up a Scottish Open success earlier in the season had forced him into a change of mind over his selections.

Reminded he had said earlier in the week that he already knew the three he was going to pick, he said: "I think I was lying at that stage.What Edoardo did today was incredible and that's the type of player we need to try and regain the Ryder Cup. "

Montgomerie revealed that the three picks had come from a final short list of ten and admitted Casey's exclusion was down to an "embarrassment of riches" that made his task more difficult than any of his predecessors as European captain.

"Paul Casey is a world player who will play in many more Ryder Cups. I feel sorry for him and Justin Rose as well, having won twice (on the PGA Tour] this season and he's doing well again (in the Barclays Championship]. But, on this occasion, I and our team here (Bjorn, Clarke and McGinley] had to leave out world stars."

Garcia's addition to the back room has come out of the blue, but Montgomerie is confident the Spaniard, who fell well short of making the team for the sixth match running, can aid the European cause considerably at Celtic Manor.

"There's one word that describes Sergio and that's passion," said the Scot. "He'll bring that on the course and off it as well. I think it's a great asset to have him on board."