PAUL AZINGER has sung the praises of the side that will try to keep hold of the Ryder Cup later this week.
"You brought a great team over here again," Azinger told Europe captain Nick Faldo last night soon after their plane had touched down in Louisville, Kentucky.
"I've been kind of marvelling at how well all of you guys have been playing."
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zinger returned to the theme by calling Faldo's men "an incredible team" and when asked to comment on the decision to leave out Darren Clarke he paid another compliment.
"I'm not going to try to justify why Nick didn't pick Darren Clarke. He just brought over 12 pretty darned good players and he had a couple more that he could have chosen. If it was 14 players, I'm pretty sure I know who the other two would be, but it's only 12."
Clarke and Colin Montgomerie were the two obvious omissions.
Knowing how well Europe have done as underdogs in recent years Azinger almost seems to be grabbing the chance to adopt the same position.
Asked which side goes into the match with most pressure he replied: "There's always pressure at the Ryder Cup and anybody who says there's not is either out of touch or has never been here.
"We have a great opportunity to change it. We have, I think, everything to gain in this situation – not a lot of people expect us to pull this off minus Tiger Woods.
"Everybody feels pressure, but hopefully they will be free-wheeling out there. That's my hope."
Faldo had seven of his team on the flight – Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson were already in the States – and he described them as raring to go and well-rested. That last remark appeared to apply to star man Padraig Harrington more than anybody.
"Our Open champion is a fine sleeper – he had four sleeps," said Faldo.
The Dubliner, winner of golf's last two major championships, has played three events since and after missing the halfway cut in the first two finished well down the field in the other.
But Faldo is unconcerned by his recent form.
"I chatted with Paddy," he added. "He knew what he was doing with his schedule.
"The guys have been practising and kept themselves all light and well-oiled, that was kind of one of my requests.
"I'm very pleased with the guys who played last week (Robert Karlsson won in Cologne and Miguel Angel Jimenez, Soren Hansen and Graeme McDowell were all in the top 20) and the others have stayed well-oiled, which was one of my requests."
On whether Harrington might be paired with McDowell, the only other Irishman in the team following the controversial exclusion of Clarke, Faldo commented: "I've just walked off a plane."
He did say, however, that it was his intention – "if things are going well" – to play all 12 of his side on the opening day. Azinger has the same hope.
Four players are rested from each session of foursomes and fourballs, but two years ago Ian Woosnam employed all 12 on the first day and every one of them contributed at least half a point.
Europe, of course, went on to repeat their record nine-point victory of 2004 in Detroit.
In direct contrast to Woosnam, Mark James did not play three of his side in 1999 at Brookline – Jean Van de Velde, Jarmo Sandelin and Andrew Coltart – until the last day singles.
All three lost and the United States came storming back for what is their last win. On the effect the home crowd might have Azinger commented: "I think they are already motivated – they have been waiting two years for this."
The full article contains 637 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
