Old Guard Is Out for Ryder Cup Play

L.A. Times Archives

Aug. 23, 1999 12 AM PT

From Associated Press

MUNICH, Germany —

Padraig Harrington of Ireland played his way onto his first Ryder Cup team Sunday, and captain Mark James gave Europe a truly green look by selecting Andrew Coltart as one his two captain’s picks.

Harrington finished second behind Colin Montgomerie in the BMW International Open and moved up to 10th in the Ryder Cup standings, nudging out Robert Karlsson. James then rounded off the team with Jesper Parnevik and Coltart, a Scotsman who has never played in the matches.

“Coltart has played more consistently since the U.S. Open than any of the other candidates,” James said. “He’s shown the most, and he’s one of the [top] players in the world. It was a very difficult choice.”

With Nick Faldo and the rest of Europe’s old guard watching from home for the first time in 24 years, James will bring one of the most inexperienced teams over to The Country Club outside Boston next month as Europe tries to retain the Ryder Cup once again.

Faldo, Bernard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Seve Ballesteros and Sandy Lyle were regarded as the “Fab Five” in Europe--at least one of them has played in every Ryder Cup since 1975.

Now, they have been replaced by a new generation.

Seven Europeans have never experienced a Ryder Cup--Coltart, Harrington, Sergio Garcia, British Open champion Paul Lawrie, Jean Van de Velde, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Jarmo Sandelin. Three others--Parnevik, Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke--have played in only one Ryder Cup.

The experience will come from Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, playing on his fifth team, and Montgomerie, who will be on his fourth team. Garcia, the 19-year-old Spaniard who finished second in the PGA Championship behind Tiger Woods, is the youngest player in Ryder Cup history.

The U.S. team, which captain Ben Crenshaw completed last week after the PGA Championship, has only one rookie--David Duval.

“I think it’s an excellent team,” James said. “I think it’s balanced and I think we have a good mix of different types of players and personalities. I’m confident we can win, because it doesn’t matter who was there before. It’s the standard of players we have this time.”

Montgomerie closed with a 70 for a 20-under 268 to win the BMW International by three strokes over Harrington, who shot a 72.

Europe’s 12 players are all expected to be at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, this week for the $5-million NEC Invitational, a World Golf Championship event for players on the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams.

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In Front

Final standings for the Ryder Cup matches Sept. 24-26 at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.

UNITED STATES

GolferWorld ranking

Tiger Woods: 1

David Duval: 2

Payne Stewart: 7

Davis Love III: 3

Mark O’Meara: 9

Hal Sutton: 15

Justin Leonard: 12