ABU DHABI // Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter may have had an indifferent 2015, but both remain confident of making Europe’s Ryder Cup team later this year.
The pair led Europe to an easy victory last week against Asia in the EurAsia Cup, and the new captain Darren Clarke was especially pleased with the experience and nous they brought to a young side.
So poor was their form in 2015, they made it to the side as captain’s picks. Westwood had just one top-10 finish in 15 US PGA Tour events, while Poulter, after a good start, failed to make the cut at the US and British opens.
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Poulter slid down the rankings and is outside the top 50, which affects his chances of making the major tournaments and getting the points to move into Ryder Cup contention.
Not that “Mr Ryder Cup”, as Poulter is known, is in doubt.
Asked if he was confident of making the team, his response as he prepares to take part in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship was emphatic: “Yes.”
He did acknowledge the possibility, however, that a lot can happen between now and September and despite a Ryder Cup record of 13 points in 18 matches and Clarke’s words, he was not yet a shoo-in.
“Darren is going to take the best team to Hazeltine” Minneapolis, where the next Ryder Cup takes place, “irrespective of who he has to leave off that team,” Poulter said.
“If he has got to leave me and Lee off the team, he is going to leave me and Lee off the team. He’s got to take the best guys that he thinks can win that trophy. I know from where I stand as a player, I need to make the team. I don’t want to be a pick.”
Westwood’s form has shown signs of returning with a runners-up finish at the Thailand Open in December and going unbeaten in the EurAsia Cup.
“I know I need to play better,” he said.
“I‘ve worked hard on my putting and changed my style slightly. I’m rolling a few more putts in. Last week I rolled more putts in, that’s been lacking from my game and I feel pretty good on the long game. So I’m quite confident at the start of this year.”
Westwood, who thinks a “majority” of those who played last week will be in the Ryder Cup side, also has a personal record to strive for in what would be his 10th Ryder Cup.
He is just two behind Nick Faldo’s record for the all-time points leader.
“Obviously you want as many records as you can get,” he said.
“When you consider all the great players who have played Ryder Cup for Europe, I passed Seve [Ballesteros] at the last one and have Nick in front of me. It’d be great to get to the top of the list.
“It’s always about the team performances but you do look at individual records as well with pride.”
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