Featured Golf News
Celtic Manor Ready for Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup will be played at Celtic Manor Resort and on its Twenty Ten Course October 1-3. The European squad, boasting eight of the world's top-20 players, was finalized at the conclusion of Sunday's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. Captain Colin Montgomerie selected Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari as his three wild card picks.
They join automatic qualifiers Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Francesco Molinari, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Peter Hanson.
"I congratulate every member of the European team on winning their place in the team," says Celtic Manor Resort chairman Sir Terry Matthews. "It is a considerable achievement both for those who qualified automatically and for those who were awarded wildcard selections.
"In my opinion, this is the strongest European team ever assembled and I look forward to welcoming these very talented players to the Celtic Manor Resort in four weeks' time. I have no doubt they will meet an equally determined American side and we all anticipate a fantastic week of the finest sporting competition."
At the start of the season, Montgomerie urged his Ryder Cup contenders to play in this year's Celtic Manor Wales Open to be better acquainted with the Ryder Cup layout. In Donald and Edoardo Molinari, he picked players who did well in that tournament.
Donald finished third in his first appearance at Celtic Manor in June, while Molinari was another shot back in fourth. With Wales Open champion Graeme McDowell winning two weeks before his U.S. Open triumph in June, and runner-up Rhys Davies invited to be part of the team room in a non-playing role, Montgomerie has surrounded himself with golfers who have performed well on the Twenty Ten Course. Like McDowell, Poulter and Jiménez return to Celtic Manor with fond memories as the Wales Open winners in 2003 and 2005, respectively.
In all, seven of the 12 players who will bid to regain the Ryder Cup from the Americans played in this year's Celtic Manor Wales Open; only Westwood and Poulter have yet to play the new Ryder Cup layout in competition.
"I think it's a definite advantage for Europe to have so many on the team who know the course well," said Celtic Manor director of golf courses Jim McKenzie. "A good number of them also have the added confidence of having played very well on the Twenty Ten Course.
Although I think U.S. Captain Corey Pavin is right when he says there is nothing tricked up about this golf course, there's no doubt the more you play the Twenty Ten the more you learn about it."
Pavin will add his four captain's picks September 7. They will join automatic qualifiers Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton and Matt Kuchar.
For additional information about Celtic Manor, visit www.celtic-manor.com.
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