With just ten product specialists in the United Kingdom, it’s clearly quality over quantity for Titleist. A Titleist Ultimate Fit day is no different; one-on-one 45 minute sessions with a leading specialist in Titleist products. High demand is nothing new for these experts, but with the incredible success of this year’s new TS range demand has sky-rocketed. We caught up with James Robinson, Titleist Product Specialist Manager, at their Ultimate Fit enclosure on the range at Walton Heath during the 2018 British Masters.

‘We’re fitters, not salesmen’

A clear message straight out the blocks. A Titleist Ultimate Fit day is hosted by a local golf club with the objective of helping customers find the perfect club with the optimal specifications tailored to them, as opposed to ‘buying blind’. However, James was keen to stress that he and his team of specialist fitters are there to do exactly that; fit, not sell.

The Process

Things will kick off with a brief evaluation of your game. Some questions will be followed by a few swings to help the fitter gain some data about you. James explained that there is a balance of data and feel; allowing you to see evidence of your results through concrete data, but ultimately letting you feel the results. Don’t worry, you won’t be left on your own swinging without purpose. A common technique to help you hone in on the desired results, James tells me, is to create an ‘Imaginary Launch Window’. As he explains this, he creates ‘Window’ with his hands, telling me that you just ‘Aim for the window’. Simple enough, right?

From there, it’s a matter of finding what works for you in generating the best results and finding the window; starting with the model, then the shaft, the flex and so on until you have the golden ticket of golf club specifications. Not content with words, James shows me the coding with all the adjustable combinations on a nearby TS3 Driver. My untrained mind is wondering whether I should ease myself into it by, say, cracking the Da Vinci Code before trying to calculate my optimal performance coding. James, of course, could do it in 45 minutes.

Making the Difference

Every person, and every golfer, is unique. That’s what makes club fitting such a fine art. The fitting process is different for every golfer and the goalposts move depending on your ability, experience and desires. For beginners, James tells me, it is often a case of some major changes with the ultimate goal of ‘consistency’ when aiming for that Imaginary Launch Window. For the more advanced golfer, it may be more a case of subtle tweaks to find that added edge for your game. These are ‘equally valuable’ in helping a player take that step to the next level of performance.

‘We want to support grassroot Pros’

Most golfers want to support their local golf Pro. You’ll be glad to know that Titleist are on the same page. Not only do they offer these Ultimate Fit days at local golf clubs, they also offer expert product training to golf Pros for new Titleist products to ensure that said Professionals are informed with an in-depth understanding of Titleist golf clubs and golf balls. The ‘Titleist University’ is an online teaching tool to aid in this education process. Golf Professionals can complete online courses about Titleist equipment and receive a certificate upon completion of their work, so keep an eye out for those Titleist certificates in your local golf club.

The Message

James laid out the goal of Titleist Ultimate Fit in one clear, concise message: ‘We want to educate.’

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

I think American Julian Suri said it best in his pre-round interview on Sunday: “This is what I expect when I come to the UK.” The 27-year-old was 6-under at the time and would finish on -4 after a final round 74; ranking T5 on a scrappy leaderboard with five of the top eight being Englishmen. The 2018 British Masters well and truly lived up to its name in that it was, when all is said and done, British.

Red-Hot Chilly Pepperell

In his winning speech, Eddie Pepperell described himself as a narcissist. It’s a very English trait, and one that paid dividends in grinding out a win in tough, tough conditions at Walton Heath Golf Club. His form may have been hot, but the weather most definitely was not.

It was cold and windy and, on Sunday, wet. You’ve never seen anybody look quite so miserable en route to winning a European Tour event and more than half a million pounds as Eddie Pepperell on Sunday; moping around the course with his Mizuno umbrella and mittens provided by his mother mid-round. His hole-in-one at the 9^th on Thursday is being heralded as one of the greatest ever on the European Tour, and rightly so. He wasn’t the only one to have an outstanding opening round, with four men tied for the lead at -5. However, as the weather deteriorated so did the scorecards for most. Very few sub-par rounds were posted on a windswept Friday, with fans more concerned with keeping hats on heads than watching golf, but Pepperell went 3-under. Matt Wallace’s steady level-par meant he was the nearest challenger at -5. Pepperell moved to -9 on Saturday as the winds eased off a fair bit to allow some more free-flowing golf, but that saw Alexander Bjork, Julien Guerrier, Jordan Smith and Julian Suri all move to -6.

Sweden’s Bjork was the man paired with the leader on Sunday, and he’d have been grateful for his partnership with Galvin Green as the rain poured and temperatures plummeted. The 3-stroke lead was cut to two with a Bjork birdie at the 2^nd, followed by birdies from both men on the par-3 fifth.  A Pepperell bogey at the 9^th meant Bjork was within one at the turn. Pepperell’s drive at the par-4 10^th left him with a tricky shot from 122 yards. The Englishman holed-out for his FOURTH eagle of the week. I was lucky enough to be greenside as it dropped, and if Walton Heath had a roof… Well, it wouldn’t anymore. Nobody realised it at the time, but perhaps the most important shot of the tournament was Pepperell’s long putt from off the green to save par at the 14^th. He’d go on to bogey the next two holes and be just one clear heading to the 72^nd. Bjork closed with a bogey and Pepperell scrambled for par to clinch his second European Tour title and his first on home soil.

The Round-Up

The love for Justin Rose from players and fans was strong heading into the week, and the tournament host once again delivered as a great ambassador for the game. His course of choice- Walton Heath- took a real battering from the elements… As did us spectators. The course hasn’t changed much and definitely hasn’t been redesigned to accommodate a birdie-fest. The -9 final score said it all: this was a proper European Tour event. In fact, do you know the last European Tour event to be won in single-figures? The Open at Carnoustie. Testing, but fair. That’s how it should be.

Being on the course all week gave me a strange sense of patriotic pride. The numbers that turned out to trudge around the heathland landscape despite the weather were remarkable. The fans outlasted the players on Saturday when darkness forced play to finish early, and complaints were few and far between. There were chipping competitions & inflatable obstacle courses courtesy of Bridgestone, a 100ft Putt Challenge for Cancer Research UK and a Titleist Activation Zone in the Championship Village as well as Titleist’s Ultimate Fit on the range and Bridgestone’s “Focus Challenge” beside the 18^th. I never once saw any station empty throughout the entire week. Even the food (fish & chips, Cornish Pasties & bacon butties) was so incredibly British.

Eddie Pepperell – What’s in the Bag

Driver: PING G400

3-Wood: Callaway Epic Sub Zero

Irons: Mizuno MP-18 (2-iron), Mizuno JPX 919 Tour (3-9 irons)

Wedges: Mizuno T7

Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock #8

Golf Ball: Titleist ProV1

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Hero Challenge Review

The Hero Challenge is the sort of event that “Beef” is made for. No, let me rephrase that; it’s the sort of event that’s made for fans of “Beef”. Atmosphere trumped golf at the Canary Wharf Hero Challenge. This event eradicates almost every obstacle or excuse somebody could have for not watching golf. After all, fans- like players- have to start somewhere, and I think a chilly Tuesday night in Central London has just seen that start for many, many people.

Can’t get to the golf course? No worries, we’ll stick it right in the middle of the busiest city. Don’t want to stand around all day? No worries, we’ll wrap it up in an hour. No atmosphere? No worries, we’ve got “BEEEEEEEF!”

When push comes to shove, golf is not as accessible a sport as some. That’s part of its charm: it’s unique, individual. But that doesn’t cut the mustard anymore. I don’t expect thousands of Londoners to call in sick tomorrow only to flock to their local golf course. Nor do I expect a spontaneous fourball to break out in amongst the office blocks. But fans of the sport, in whatever capacity, were gained and that’s a win.

The fact that Beef won couldn’t have worked out better for this event, but honestly I think the good luck started in the outskirts of Paris. European Captain Thomas Bjorn and players Justin Rose & Thorbjorn Olesen were greeted with love, and the Ryder Cup trophy even more so. But the Europeans brought back more than just a trophy (a beautiful, beautiful trophy); they brought the Ryder Cup atmosphere. It was very, very good timing and Sky Sports Golf did extremely well in feeding off that.

Die-hard golf fans maybe wouldn’t love it too much, but this wasn’t for them. This was a smart, innovative and ultimately fun way to help more people enjoy golf.

Celebrity Pro-Am Review

A change of pace from the Hero Challenge, but unquestionably on the same page. Niall Horan’s appearance drew a fair crowd of teenage fangirls and Roman Keating had his own, erm, “less-teenage” fans following him around. Meanwhile, the likes of Glenn Hoddle, John Terry, Mark Noble and Kenny Dalgleish attracted hoards of football fans. The Hero Challenge took away peoples’ excuses to not get involved in golf, and the Celebrity Pro-Am gave them an excuse to get involved.

With regards to the actual golf, the age-old adage of “putt for dough” jumps to mind. We saw some outstanding golf from the amateurs on a tricky course, but the gulf in class became apparent on the greens with pretty much every hole for every group. The standout group was hands down the final one of Danny Willett, John Terry, Robbie Fowler & Kenny Dalgleish. Tee-to-green they were all excellent, but the thing that got me was the camaraderie, which wasn’t surprising but was important. This event was staged for fan interaction and Willett led them in doing exactly that. Two events back-to-back aimed at helping the sport to branch out. Golf is seizing the initiative. The message is clear: Newcomers are welcome in golf.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Credit: BBC Sport

Where do we start? Europe won the Ryder Cup in sensational fashion; losing the opening three points before putting together 8 consecutive points, including a first-ever Friday afternoon whitewash, and seeing it out in the Sunday Singles for a final score of 17 ½ - 10 ½.

Moliwood

USA’s scarily talented team looked destined to live up to the hype as they raced to an early 0-3 lead. Up step Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood. The Moliwood bromance won the hearts and minds of every golf fan across Europe… Along with all four of their matches. Molinari would go on to become the first European ever to go 5-0-0 by defeating Phil Mickelson 4&2 for the title-clinching point.

Their contrasting personalities were clear for all to see as rookie Fleetwood led the celebrations with crowd-surfing and Icelandic Thunder Claps. Meanwhile, a beer-soaked Molinari’s composed interviews were drowned out by thousands of fans singing his name. Still, the Italian remained the most down-to-earth man in the continent. Opposites really do attract!

Sergio the Record-Breaker

Sergio Garcia not only justified Thomas Bjorn’s wildcard pick (as they all did), but he also overtook Nick Faldo as Europe’s all-time point scorer with 25 ½ points. He insisted his only interest was in a team win, but everybody (perhaps barring Faldo) was happy to see him grab a well-deserved piece of history.

Wonderful Wildcards

Europe's wildcards combined for 9 ½ points, whilst Tony Finau (2) was the only one of USA’s wildcards to pick up a single point, with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson & Bryson DeChambeau going pointless.

Consistent Casey, “Iceman” Stenson, record-breaker Sergio and Ian “The Postman” Poulter were simply sensational.

Captain Calamity

Patrick Reed beat Tyrrell Hatton in his Sunday Singles match. It was the only point won between him and partner Tiger Woods over the entire week. Reed still “shushed” the European crowd, despite the fact that America had already officially lost. Of course, nobody shushed; they laughed.

Even in serious competition, it’s nice to see opposing fans brought together, and a mutual dislike of Patrick Reed did exactly that for Europe & USA.

Celebrations

Captain Bjorn’s calming influence was clear for all to see. As Europe totted up the points we saw several memorable joyful outbursts- most notably from Fleetwood- but it was mostly passionate outbursts rather than playing up to the crowds. That was until things were wrapped up, of course.

The rookies led the way. Jon Rahm went wild after sinking his winning putt against Tiger, Fleetwood took his Jesus look-alikeness to a whole new level by floating across the crowds and Poulter dressed as a post box after delivering once again.

Thank you & congratulations, Team Europe!

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

No. 80

The comeback is complete. Tiger Woods is back. Sundays are red again. It’s one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sport and, whether you love him or hate him, you have to appreciate him.

Over the course of five years, PGA Tour win No. 80 went from inevitable to improbable to inconceivable to in-the-books.

Roses are Fed(Ex)

Justin Rose’s FedEx Cup victory has been more than 20 years in the making, but he didn’t make it easy for himself. Needing better than T5 to fend off Tiger Woods, the pressure told on Sunday as the Englishman made five birdies en route to +4 as he approached the last. Suddenly he needed a birdie for $10million.

“I’m sorry” said Rose as he tapped in for $10million. The American crowd applauded, but Rose knew they had a different champion in mind. I doubt he’ll lose any sleep over that.

How it Happened

Tiger shared the Round 1 lead after a walk-off eagle completed an opening 65. FedEx Cup leader Bryson DeChambeau opened with a 1-over 71 before making it 6-over with a Friday 75. Heading into the weekend, Rose and Tiger shared the lead at -7; two strokes clear of Rory McIlroy.

DeChambeau went 66-67 over the weekend but the damage was already done as he couldn’t get near the FedEx Cup title with a 19^th place finish. Tiger made five consecutive birdies between 3 and 7 on Saturday for another 65 and -12 for the week to carry a three-stroke lead into Sunday. McIlroy & Rose were his nearest competitors; both at -9 after rounds of 66 and 68 respectively.

I don’t care if we’re talking about the best in the world or somebody picking up a club for the first time, if you put a TOUR Championship and $10million on the line as separate prizes, it’s bound to affect you mentally. Tiger opened with a birdie which all but wrapped up the tournament as his challengers fell off the pace. McIlroy managed 3 bogeys and a double with a lone birdie in his front nine to fall out of contention, whilst Rose looked unsure as to whether he was going for the tournament or just the FedEx Cup. In the end, he finished T4. Dustin Johnson shot back-to-back 67 rounds on Saturday-Sunday to finish solo third reclaim his World No. 1 title from Rose.

Thousands flocked to the 18^th for Tiger’s finale. A tap-in par sealed it. The crowds cheered, Tiger cried and Thomas Bjorn (probably) cried too.

WITB

A huge season finale saw Tiger’s first win in 5 years, Rose’s most lucrative career title and DJ return to World No. 1. There’s one common denominator we can’t avoid here: TaylorMade.

The TM family have been long been associated with the Tour’s most successful players, but these results are bordering on ridiculous now. Here’s what TaylorMade tells us these guys had in their bags.

Drivers:

Rose and Tiger both use the M3 driver, whilst big-hitting DJ plays with the M4. All three have clearly benefitted from the Twist Face technology this year.

Fairway Woods:

Tiger sticks with the M3 model in his 3-wood, but it’s the M4 in both Rose & DJ’s bags. Again, they’ve all chosen Twist Face designs.

Irons:

Tiger is Tiger, so he gets to design his own irons. The TaylorMade TW Phase1 prototypes are not available at retail (otherwise we’d all play like Tiger, of course). Rose & DJ have both earned plaudits for their iron play this year. For Rose it’s the P790, and for DJ it’s the P730.

Wedges:

Wedge wise, Rose and DJ both combine the Milled Grind and the Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges. Tiger, though, uses the Milled Grind RAW wedge.

Putters:

In case you didn’t know, Tiger switches to Scotty Cameron for his putter. Rose’s putting has been cited as the turning point in his career. The vast improvement this season has given him the consistency which resulted in the big prize on the PGA Tour. The putter he uses is the TP Red Collection Ardmore 2. Dustin Johnson- always reliable on the greens- plays with the Spider Tour Black.

Golf Balls:

Again, Tiger moves away from TaylorMade for his golf balls, but the TP5 balls that Rose uses and TP5x balls that DJ uses have both received high praise on and off Tour.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

If any of the Top-5; Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, Tony Finau, Dustin Johnson & Justin Thomas, win the TOUR Championship they will win the coveted FedEx Cup, along with a cool $10million. Everybody in the field can (theoretically, if not realistically) put their name on the check. Let’s take a look at some of the most intriguing East Lake pairings.

Justin Rose/Bryson DeChambeau

In four of the last five years, the man heading into the TOUR Championship at No. 2 has come out on top in the FedEx Cup. No. 2 this year? That’d be the new World No. 1: Justin Rose.

He lost in a playoff last time out (his second consecutive runner-up) and I believe that losing, as weird as it may sound, has put more expectation on him to win. I say that because DeChambeau’s back-to-back playoff wins are the top of everybody’s list as to why he won’t win (3 out of 4? Don’t be stupid!). Rose has an outstanding record at East Lake: Eight starts, four Top-6 finishes (including a runner-up) and nothing worse than T20. I am very confident of a Top-5 finish from him, which would give him a decent chance in the FedEx Cup without guaranteeing anything.

I can see DeChambeau coming up short. He’s young and has already done some incredible things, but he’ll get outmuscled by the bigger guys here. He just needs a respectable finish and he can reflect on a fantastic season. Anything outside the Top-10 would be unjust.

Dustin Johnson/Tony Finau

Breathing down the neck of Rose & DeChambeau, these are exactly the type of guys to outmuscle a young kid trying do something a bit quirky. Top-10 machine Tony Finau is, amazingly, still without a win since 2016. He’ll need to change that this week. Given that we’re talking about golf, it is more than plausible, but I wouldn’t count on it.

DJ, on the other hand, knows how to win. 3 wins in 2016, 4 in 2017 and 3 so far in 2018. The American has 11 Top-10s in 19 starts this year. For me, he and Rose have to be the favourites.

Francesco Molinari/Phil Mickelson

Molinari & Mickelson will be interesting to watch. Phil the Thrill side-by-side with Methodical Molinari (I can’t see that catching on in the same way). It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest to see these two face off at Le Golf National, either. I’d like to see which style comes out on top.

Rory McIlroy/Xander Schauffele

The previous two winners of the tournament, although only one- McIlroy in 2016- actually won the FedEx Cup. Last year, Schauffele became the first TOUR Championship winner not to pick up the FedEx Cup at the same time since 2009.

McIlroy’s spot atop the bookies’ list is almost automatic. A win would likely be that and no more for both men, who would need a bucket load of luck to climb 16 and 17 places in the FedEx Cup standings respectively. However, I can see Rory finishing the season strongly by joining DJ and Rose near the top of the leaderboard.

Tiger Woods/Tommy Fleetwood

Tiger & Tommy. You can only imagine what this will mean to the Englishman, and you’ll have to keep imagining because there’s no way Fleetwood will let it show. He’s a cool competitor and he’ll be set on chasing the title. Neither man will be $10million dollars richer (and not just because Fleetwood’s money will be sent to the wrong man again!), but both are looking to cap off a big season with a big win. Victory for Fleetwood would mean back-to-back multiple win seasons, whilst Tiger… Well, you know.

Rose, DJ and McIlroy are my ones to watch in the PGA Tour’s ultimate showdown as I anticipate DeChambeau being usurped at the death. After all, this is golf: it can’t be straightforward.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Credit: Golf.com

It takes an elite mind to reach the top of any sport, but golf, more than most, is a mental game. To understand what goes on inside the mind of a PGA Tour Pro is beyond cool. Sure, these surveys are about as American as shooting hot dogs out of a cannon at sports events (yes, they actually do that) and bears a striking resemblance to the “Mic’d Up” players in the NFL and, more recently, MLS. However, there are some very interesting answers. We’ve picked out a few (and avoided the political ones for obvious reasons).

Distance & Equipment

76% of the 59 players who participated said that they are NOT concerned about players hitting the ball too far. One player cited the evolution of equipment as an issue; claiming it “has taken a ton of skill away from the game”. However, 93% of players believe the PGA Tour courses are about right in length, with the other 7% believing they are generally too long.

Only 5% of players have signed an equipment deal believing it to be a downgrade. Of course money talks, but it appears that Tour players generally do prioritise performance (as they should). Therefore, it may just be worth keeping an eye on the more popular manufacturers on Tour.

Unruly Behaviour

From fans to players, unruly behaviour has no place in golf… Although many players believe it does. 44% say they have seen a fellow player cheat (although 0% admitted to doing so themselves), with one saying “The Tour is a joke when it comes to enforcing the rules.” More than half of them claim that unruly fans have cost them a shot, with some saying it happens every week but others joking that they don’t pull large enough crowds for that to be an issue (probably not Tiger).

Nearly half admitted to playing a tournament round hungover. It didn’t always end too badly (see Eddie Pepperrell at The Open), with scores as low as 61 and 60 with a hangover. Did we just discover the secret to Tour-level golf? No. No we didn’t.

Tiger & Phil

Sorry, but we can’t ignore it. 98% reckon Tiger will win another tournament and 90% think he’ll win another major. He’s also a clear favourite in the Mickelson Money Match. They weren’t questioned on their interest in the match, although 10% refused to comment and one player asked “Who cares? Maybe I would’ve 15 years ago.” I can’t imagine many would oppose that view.

There was a 54% majority in Phil’s favour regarding his Shinnecock shenanigans; saying he shouldn’t have been disqualified.

Views on driving distance and equipment are definitely what caught my eye most, although the comments on cheating and fans- specifically calling the PGA Tour “A joke”- are something you wouldn’t get without the anonymity. And, if you fancy a flutter next season, the overwhelming belief in Tiger from the guys who should know best should tell you where the smart money is. That said, in 2017 they voted Jordan Spieth the best putter on Tour. In 2018 he ranked 136 in Strokes Gained: Putting. Anything can happen in golf.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

It’s been a long, long time coming, hasn’t it? And he was forced to wait one more day as torrential rain at Philadelphia’s Aronimink Golf Club turned Sunday into Monday at the BMW Championship. Despite the loss, Justin Rose became just the fourth Englishman ever to top the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).

When the baby-faced 17-year-old chipped in on the 18^th at Royal Birkdale to finish fourth as an amateur at The 1998 Open Championship, many would’ve expected a meteoric rise. It took him fifteen more years to win his first Major at the 2013 U.S. Open. Now, aged 38, Rose is officially the World No. 1 for the first time. The Olympic Gold Medallist boasts a career of memorable moments- rightly describing himself as “A history books guy”, but his rise to the top has not been a straightforward one.

The Rise of Rose

After that now-legendary finish to The Open, Rose turned Pro. What could go wrong? 21 consecutive missed cuts, that’s what. Early career struggles were followed by success in 2002 and 2003, before more struggles followed by more success. Form was not always consistent for Rose but, as the old adage tells us, that is temporary. With Justin Rose, class is a permanent fixture. Be it a patriotic desire at the Olympics or extraordinary grace in defeat at the 2017 Masters, Rose won the hearts of golf fans around the world. In 2016, his services to the sport were rewarded with an MBE following that Olympic success. After his Birkdale magic he could so easily have fallen into the same trap as many other young talents but, and I’m sure it was hard to see this at the time, those early struggles as a Pro may just have helped Rose form the character that has given him so much success.

What Next?

The career grand slam, he says, is the ultimate goal. Not surprising, but certainly ambitious. At 38 it will mean kicking on. It’s a little strange to think that he only has one Major under his belt, especially given his fifteen Top-10s at Majors and his ability to win on the biggest stages (U.S. Open, Olympics, 2 WGCs, Rolex Series, FedEx Cup Playoffs and so on). However, Rose now has something that he lacked for so long: consistency. It’s also worth noting that his U.S. Open victory made him the first English Major winner since Sir Nick Faldo in 1996 and the first to win the U.S Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970.

English Golf

Rose’s latest achievement marks a serious improvement in English golf. Youngsters like Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Matthew Fitzpatrick look set to follow in his path, whilst veterans Paul Casey and Ian Poulter cannot be overlooked. With a total of 20 victories across the PGA and European Tours, Rose is the shining light for English golf right now, but this could be a taste of things to come. With five Englishmen in the 12-man Team Europe for the Ryder Cup and 9 in the OWGR Top-65- including 5 in their twenties, exciting times lie ahead for English golf.

Congratulations, Justin Rose!

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Thomas Bjorn yesterday announced his four wildcard picks to complete Team Europe. With opinions split on Bjorn's decisions, let’s take a look at who will be joining Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren and Thorbjorn Olesen at Le Golf National.

Ian Poulter

Obvious. Easy. The man for the occasion. Need I say more?

Paul Casey

Casey grinds out solid but unspectacular results. He’s a conservative option. That puts the onus on a lot of young debutants to take the match by the scruff of the neck. He also doesn’t offer the character or attitude to bolster the team.

He’s a good golfer and he has a good Ryder Cup record, but you could say the same for Rafa Cabrera Bello and Thomas Pieters. The thing that separates them is flair; an aggressive approach that excites the fans and other players. Casey, for me, doesn’t offer that. It won't hurt the team, but I feel there were better options out there.

Sergio Garcia

I’m unsure. Plain and simple. It’s so easy to justify his inclusion, but it would’ve been equally as easy to justify his exclusion. There’s no way he’s “done”; he won THREE tournaments last year. Not just the Masters. It’s just a matter of finding his game when it matters. Bjorn described him as “the heartbeat of the team”. He is a huge presence.

Sergio will give those young guys a lot more confidence when lining up against the likes of Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson. No doubt. I am reluctant to criticise his selection, but Bjorn is putting himself in the firing line.

Henrik Stenson

His form hasn’t been spectacular, but for me Stenson is a no-brainer. He’s such a great golfer and reminds me a lot of Molinari in his ability to avoid mistakes when the pressure is on. He also has a lot of Ryder Cup experience in his favour. You won't find many objectors to this pick.

Missed the cut

I think the tournament just came too soon for Matthew Fitzpatrick and Eddie Pepperell. The same for Matt Wallace, who left himself too big a mountain to climb (three wins in 2018 would usually do the trick). We'll see where they are in two years.

However, I can’t help feeling like Rafa Cabrera Bello and Thomas Pieters were both unlucky to miss out. If Pieters had done better at Made in Denmark I think he’d have got a pick. Cabrera Bello, on the other hand, deserves to be Paris-bound after going T10-T11-T60-T7 in his last four events. Both players had outstanding debuts at Hazeltine last time out.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

The European Tour heads to Prague for The D+D Real Czech Masters, whilst the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs kick off with The Northern Trust. With Team Europe hopefuls competing on both sides of the pond, let’s take a look at some of the ones to watch.

Rafa Cabrera Bello – The Northern Trust

Currently the nearest challenger to Thorbjorn Olesen on the World Points list. Olesen snuck into the automatic spots ahead of Ian Poulter with a 4^th place finish in last week’s Nordea Masters, but that far from guarantees his position on the team. The Dane isn’t competing at all this week so Cabrera Bello has a genuine opportunity.

He went undefeated on his 2016 debut alongside Sergio Garcia, so his qualification could also work in Sergio’s favour. I’m predicting a Top-20 then a trip to Denmark next week. He’ll be in Paris.

Russell Knox – The Northern Trust

It’s been a solid year; starting with a T10 at the Sony Open in Hawaii followed by six Top-20 finishes including a T12 at the U.S. Open before going T2-1 at the Open De France and Irish Open.

He’s chasing Tommy Fleetwood on the European Points list, which is a big ask. A strong finish may just convince Thomas Bjorn to hand him a Captain’s Pick, but he wouldn’t get mine. However, that’s more a comment on the strength of the competition because he’s a great player.

Thomas Pieters – D+D Real Czech Masters

Form-horse or team legend? That’s always a question surrounding Ryder Cup teams. Pieters finished the 2016 qualification campaign with a runner-up in this event and a win in the Made in Denmark finale. That earned him a Pick, which proved a worthy one as he impressed on his debut.

Despite opening with a T5 in Abu Dhabi, it was looking a fairly lacklustre 2018 for the Belgian before T6 finishes at the Scottish Open and the PGA Championship got chins wagging about the possibility of a 2016-esque finish. Perhaps not to the 2016 level, but I think he’ll finish high in both events and sneak in.

Eddie Pepperell – D+D Real Czech Masters

He may have won the Qatar Masters in February, but the Englishman was still rarely in the Team Europe conversation until his runner-up at the Scottish Open. Even then, he was a major outsider. Speaking of majors, a hangover-ridden Pepperell shot 4-under on Sunday at Carnoustie for a -5 T6 at The Open. Suddenly he’s right in the mix.

This situation epitomises the brilliance of the qualification system. Pepperell needs to win in Prague. Success under that pressure proves he has what it takes and failure proves he doesn’t. The perfect way to find the perfect player.

The Others

Poulter will be on the team in one way or another, but Bjorn would obviously rather not burn a Pick unnecessarily. Paul Casey doesn’t cut it for me. We’ve seen Poulter, Pieters, Knox, Cabrera Bello and countless other Europeans up their game under immense pressure, but not Casey. Bjorn, I hope, will pick an aggressive team and Casey doesn’t fit that bill. Automatic qualification is still likely for him though. Stenson has pulled out of The Northern Trust with an elbow injury so he will join Sergio in relying on a Pick. I would take Stenson but I’m split on Sergio.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com