London (AFP)
Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Irishman Shane Lowry and Englishman Ian Poulter were chosen by European Ryder Cup team captain Padraig Harrington on Sunday for the Ryder Cup in the United States from 24 to September 26.
They join the Austrian Bern Wiesberger, the Spaniard John Rahm, the English Tyrrell Hatton, Paul Casey, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood, the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy and the Norwegian Viktor Hovland who had already secured their participation.
The big one left behind is the Briton Justin Rose, who needed a "wild card" to join the team.
No miracle either for the Frenchman Victor Perez, long in the race for a direct qualification in the team, before declining in recent months.
Perez could still snatch the last ticket if he had finished on the podium of the PGA Championship which was held in Wentworth (England) but he could not do better than 49th.
To justify his choices, Harrington notably highlighted the experience of Garcia.
"He's a leader. He loves the + match play + (game between two players or two teams). He can do the job and he has scored the most points in the Ryder Cup (25.5 in 9 participations) and I hope he adds a few more this time. "
It will be Lowry's first Ryder Cup, but Harrington has shown his confidence in his compatriot.
"Nobody thinks of him as a beginner. He is a great champion," he said of the winner of the British Open in 2019.
As for Poulter, who will be in the 7th edition, "he is undefeated in singles. He is raising his level, he is raising the level of his partners, he is raising the level of the team. He has played very well all year" , noted Harrington.
Irish golfer Shane Lowry at the PGA Championship in Wentworth, South London on September 12, 2021 Glyn KIRK AFP
The Ryder Cup, which was due to take place in 2020 but had been postponed due to the Covid pandemic, is currently held by Europe, which had largely dominated the United States 17.5 to 10.5, in France.
© 2021 AFP