Paul McGinley: three European Ryder Cup wildcard picks

Paul McGinely has announced he will have three wildcard picks for the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles

Paul McGinley
Paul McGinley
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Paul McGinely has announced he will have three wildcard picks for the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

Of the following nine players, four will be taken from the European Points List and five will be taken from the World Points List.

"I've said on a number of occasions that if something ain't broke, don't fix it, and that applies to the qualification for the Ryder Cup team" said McGinely.

"You only need to look at the record books to see that we haven't done too badly of late, so I didn't see the need to make sweeping chages.

"I've kept the qualification list order the same as Olly had it for Medinah but I've increased the number of captain's picks from two to three."

McGinely said the extra felxibility would help him select the right team for the Gleneagles 'examination paper', and that all the members of the European Ryder Cup Committee were 100% behind the structural change.

The most controversial aspect of the change is that five players will come from the World Points List and only four from the European Points List.

"Like it or not, we have to acknowledge the fact most of the best Europeans are now based in America," said McGinley.

But the 46-year-old was quick to clarify that he would consider any European, and was quick to point out that form, and indeed past course form, would be extremely significant in terms of prospective selection.

On another note, McGinley annouced he wanted the 2014 contest to be "as passionate as humanly possible."

Tom Watson,the American captain, announced at the end of last year he would be reducing his number of captain's picks from four to three.  

Nick Bonfield
Content Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, commissioning and feature writing. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x