BBC SPORT | Golf | Torrance defends Ryder Cup side



By Tom Fordyce BBC Sport Online

The disappointing showing of many of Europe's Ryder Cup players at the USPGA is nothing to worry about, team captain Sam Torrance has insisted.

With the showdown against the USA team at the Belfry now under six weeks away, there has been concern at the poor form of Torrance's men.

Torrance's optimism justified? Have your say

Sergio Garcia and Pierre Fulke were the best-placed Europeans at Hazeltine, in a distant 10th place - 11 shots off the winning total of Rich Beem.

The Ryder Cup can lift you from the depths of despair to the top of your game

Sam Torrance

Four of the most experienced players in Europe's team - Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood and Thomas Bjorn - failed to even make the cut.

But Torrance has refused to be downhearted by the events of the last five days.

"The USPGA has never been a great one for us," he told the BBC.

"It's always very hot and humid. If you look down the years, we've not really performed that well in it, so I'm not really going to look that deeply.

"They (the Americans) have got a few players struggling - both teams have players struggling.

A concerned-looking Sam Torrance
Torrance has just six weeks to see an improvement in form
"We're certainly not in a worse position than them.

"They've got Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson playing very well, but David Duval has been struggling, Davis Love has been struggling, Hal Sutton and Paul Azinger have been struggling.

"It adds to the excitement of the event. You're going to have people trying their hearts out who have not been playing well.

"But the Ryder Cup is a huge occasion, and it can lift you from the depths of despair to the top of your game."

Torrance can point at two of the earlier Majors this season in defence of his team.

The full US 12-man line-up played the US Open in June - and more than half failed to make the cut.

Europe, by contrast, had nine of their team in action, and just two missed the cut.

Garcia and Padraig Harrington performed admirably for the majority of the tournament, while Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn and Niclas Fasth all acquitted themselves well.

Lee Westwood mis-hits a shot at the US PGA
Westwood's slump in form continued at the US PGA
The same could not be said of Duval, Azinger, Sutton and Mark Calcavecchia.

It was the same story at the US Masters, where 10 of the European team and 11 of the US side were present.

Six of the European team made the top 20, with only Niclas Fasth missing the cut.

The Americans, once again, had a shocker. Only three made the top 20 and five - Duval, Calcavecchia, Scott Hoch, Jim Furyk and Azinger - missed the cut.

When the Ryder Cup was originally scheduled for last September, the Americans were red-hot favourites with even the most optimistic European golf fan.

The debate was all about the apparent weakness of Torrance's team, the lack of experience, the lack of big wins.

These same issues remain - which is why the final leaderboard at the USPGA on Sunday may be the least of Torrance's worries in a month and a half.


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