PADRAIG HARRINGTON would select Darren Clarke as one of his two captain's picks if he was selecting Europe's Ryder Cup team – and he would also seriously consider including Colin Montgomerie.
However, the Irishman acknowledged that there was no guarantee that captain Nick Faldo would see things the same way when he makes his two wild card selections this Sunday to complete his 12-man line-up to take on the Americans in Kentucky.
"I don
't see how you couldn't pick Clarke," Open and US PGA Championship winner Harrington said ahead of the PGA Tour's Deutsche Bank Championship.
"He's won twice this year, his form has been very good in recent weeks and he's played on five Ryder Cups and had four winning teams. And he's a natural partner to Lee Westwood.
"If you had everybody picking, I think Clarke would be a lock, but obviously Nick could see different reasons. But if I was picking, I'd be picking Darren.
"Darren carries stature into the Ryder Cup, which is very important. When you tee it up on the first tee, you want your opposition standing there and feeling that they're coming up against somebody who has a bit of stature. Darren has that, and Monty has that too."
Speaking of Montgomerie, Harrington believes he has a case for selection, notwithstanding his recent poor form.
"The guy has played eight Ryder Cups, has never lost a singles match, and he's due a consideration," added Harrington.
"My opinion is that until he loses a singles match maybe he should be given a chance."
Harrington acknowledged that Montgomerie needed to play well at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles this week to justify a captain's pick, especially with Paul Casey and Ian Poulter also having solid cases for selection.
"It could all change this week," added Harrington. "Two months ago, you would have picked Monty. Paul Casey has had a very solid two months, and two months ago Ian Poulter finished second at the Open.
"You've got four players playing for two spots. All four have a case for being picked. It's going to be tough and two guys are going to be unhappy.
"The fact they haven't played their way in, if they don't get picked they can't complain."
This week, Harrington will look to secure a berth over the weekend at the PGA Tour's Deutsche Bank Championship, which starts on Friday, after missing the cut last year.
The tournament is the second of four tournaments in the tour's play-off series, with only 120 players eligible compared to 144 at last week's Barclays tournament.
Only 70 will advance to next week's BMW Championship, with 30 qualifying for the Tour Championship to be played in four weeks, immediately after the Ryder Cup.
"It wasn't far away from being good," he said. "I just hope I don't make those same mental errors this week, but there's nothing I've got to find in my swing, or anything like that."
Meanwhile, Nick Faldo has been revealing his approach to team building as the battle for places in his Ryder Cup squad enters the final leg at Gleneagles today.
Faldo will even have a drum kit in the team room at Valhalla.
He said: "I made friends with Nicko McBrain, the drummer from Iron Maiden," he said in an interview for Golf World magazine.
"He is a legend. Technically he is one of the finest. I want to have stuff that lets the guys switch off.
"And DJ Spoony is doing the official music. He's in charge of giving us some cool, chilling, inspirational stuff."
Faldo's team meetings are not going to follow the normal pattern either.
"I don't want to give anything away, but they will be different. They will be unlike any team meetings we've had in the past," he added.
"You have to get the balance right between being intense and being relaxed.
"That is key – I want to prepare whoever needs to be prepared for Friday morning."
The full article contains 673 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
