London (AFP)
Irish golfer Padraig Harrington, who is to lead the European team at the next Ryder Cup, said on Wednesday that he hoped the race would continue in September, even if the circuit is severely disrupted by the Covid epidemic- 19.
The first two major tournaments of the season, the Masters and the PGA Championship, have been postponed due to the spread of the new coronavirus.
Some voices, including that of Paul Casey, a member of the European team that won the Ryder Cup in France in 2018, called for the event to be postponed until 2021.
But even if a truncated season could disrupt the qualification system for the next edition at Whistling Straits, in the United States, Harrington is opposed to this idea.
"We have to keep playing, as much as possible, because going on the courses and practicing our discipline is much more important than an imperfect qualification system," he said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
"It wouldn't bother me if it was the first tournament after the resumption and I had to go with 12 named players without going through qualifications," said the player, who has three major titles to his credit.
"In a sense, it would even be perfect for the Ryder Cup to be the first tournament. Just 12 guys from Europe and 12 guys from the United States, with no monetary stake and fighting only for glory. It wouldn't be a good idea back for this sport? ", he added.
Scheduled from September 25 to 27, on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Ryder Cup had been postponed for a year in 2001, in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
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