Padraig Harrington is happy with changes to the qualification process after the Ryder Cup was put back until 2021. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

THE Ryder Cup qualification period and process has been frozen following today’s announcement that September’s clash between Europe and America has been put back until 2021.

Qualifying points already earned in the race to make European captain Padraig Harrington’s team for the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits will carry forward to next year.

Points can be earned via the European and World lists from January 1, 2021, with the Ryder Cup now taking place from September 24-26 next year.

And the European Tour’s Tour Committee – which approved the changes – has agreed that more points will be awarded in key events closer to the cut-off in qualification.

Harrington’s prospective team members will benefit from points mulitpliers – almost certainly in certain Rolex Series events and possibly one or more of the Majors – in 2021.

A European Tour spokesman confirmed: “One or more points multipliers may be introduced during the course of the 2021 European Tour season to ensure that strong performance closer to the match in September 2021 is given added importance.

“These will be agreed once the 2021 European Tour schedule has been announced and communicated to the membership prior to January 1.”

‘Players shouldn’t be forced to play’

EUROPEAN captain Pádraig Harrington said he was more than happy with the changes to the qualification period.

He spoke after the match at Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits was finally pushed back for 12 months following confirmation fans would not be able to attend the three-day match, which is one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

Harrington said: “I think the proposals that have been outlined today are fair to all players involved in the qualification process – whether they have already amassed points, or will be looking to do so from next January onwards.

“The 2020 season has already been heavily disrupted, and may continue to be further impacted, by a number of COVID-19-related issues in terms of travel restrictions, quarantine regulations and individual personal concerns.

“I feel players should not feel under pressure to play and therefore the points tables should not apply from now until the end of the year from a schedule that could change further.

“However, while that is the case, notable performances will still very much count in my considerations for picks as I maintain a keen interest in the form of all possible Ryder Cup team members in tournaments on both sides of the Atlantic.”

No points from events opposite Rolex Series

QUALIFYING for the 2020 Ryder Cup started at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, back in September.

The spokesman added: “As in 2020, qualification points will not be available anywhere in the world during 2021 from a tournament played opposite a Rolex Series event.

The rule was introduced to “enhance the status” of the European Tour’s premier events.

There will be no other modifications to the qualifying criteria ratified by the Tournament Committee last year.

So the first four qualifiers for Harrington’s team will come from the European Points list – the next five from the World Points list with the captain having three wildcard picks.

The changes extend the normal length of the qualification period plus a further two months, as January and February in both 2020 and 2021 will now count.

The end of the qualification period will be confirmed when the 2021 Race to Dubai schedule is announced later this year, the Tour said.

It normally comes in the final Tour event in the last week of August, three weeks before the Europe meets America.

Paul McGinley holed the winning putt at The Belfry in 2002. Picture by STUART FLETCHER

Ryder Cup will now be played in odd years

ALL future Ryder Cups will now be played in odd years going forward – as was historically the case up until 2001.

The Euorpean Tour and PGA of America, who share organisation of the match which dates back to 1927, confirmed the switch after Wednesday’s announcement about the Whistling Straits match.

The Ryder Cup was last postponed in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York, nearly 20 years ago, in 2001,

The match was played at The Belfry in 2002 with Europe producing a rousing Sunday singles display before Paul McGinley holed the winning putt for Sam Torrance’s team.

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American captain Steve Stricker and his European counterpart Padraig Harrington with the Ryder Cup which will now be played at Whistling Straits in 2021. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

USA captain Steve Stricker has backed the move to switch the 2020 Ryder Cup to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of COVID-19 cases stil spreading in American will prevent fans from attending one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

After the PGA of America and European Tour announced the postponement this afternoon, Stricker said: “While it is disappointing the Ryder Cup won’t be played this year, the decision to reschedule is the right thing to do under the circumstances.

“At the end of the day, we want to stage a Ryder Cup that will rival all other Ryder Cups in my home state of Wisconsin.

“And now we have the opportunity to showcase the event as it was meant to be seen.”

European captain Pádraig Harrington, who had changed his mind from being against playing without fans to suggesting it might be necessary to help the game’s finances was also behind the move.

Harrington, who played in the biennial match six times between 1997 and 2010, said: “Rescheduling the Ryder Cup was never going to be an easy decision – given the many factors to take into consideration.

“But I believe it is the right assessment given the unprecedented circumstances we are facing at this time.

“When you think of the Ryder Cup you think of the distinctive atmosphere generated by the spectators, such as around the first tee at Le Golf National two years ago.

“If that cannot be responsibly recreated at Whistling Straits in September, then it is correct that we all wait until it can be.

“I know, right now, that September 2021 feels like a long time away. But it will come around quickly and I guarantee that the European players and I will be ready when it does.”

Ticket and hospitality arrangments

Both the United States and European teams will revisit their respective qualifying and selection processes in the near future, the two organising bodies have said.

Tickets purchased for the 2020 Ryder Cup via rydercup.com will be automatically valid for the corresponding days in 2021.

In the coming weeks, the PGA of America will contact everyone who secured tickets via rydercup.com to enable refunds for those unable to attend in 2021.

Further details regarding that process are available on the Ryder Cup website.

Anyone who has purchased tickets and hospitality packages on the secondary market must contact that specific site directly.

The PGA of America will be unable to process refunds for those purchases.

The PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe also announced that the Junior Ryder Cup will be rescheduled.

It will now be played on September 21 and 22, 2021, at Blue Mound Golf & Country Club in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

It was originally scheduled for September 20-21.

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Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart – who is now one of Sky Sports top golf pundits – thinks the 2020 Ryder Cup must go ahead – even if fans are banned because of the COVID-19 crisis

EX-Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart warned Europe’s top players they must play against the USA at Whistling Straits in September – because there is no guarantee the COVID-19 crisis could be over in another 12 months’ time.

So even if fans are barred from watching Padraig Harrington’s Europeean team go head to head with Steve Stricker’s American team at the Wisconsisn course, which hosted the USPGA Championship twice between 2004 and 2010, the Scot thinks the 2020 Ryder Cup must be played.

Coltart told Sky Sports Golf viewers: “Thomas Bjorn made a good point that we don’t know where we’re going to be in 12 months.

“We don’t know whether the vaccine is going to be effective or whether they’re going to have a vaccine.

“If the event has to be suspended again because of another spike… goodness me, the economic fallout of that could be catastrophic.”

It means Coltart is in the camp with Ryder Cup captains Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington who have called for the event to go ahead.

Meanwhile Ian Woosnam, the winning captain in Dublin in 2006, has said the Ryder Cup without fans in September would be a disaster.

Coltart’s view that the biennial contest – which has been won by Europe in seven of the last stagings since 2002, the last time the event was rescheduled following the 9/11 terrorist attack on New Year – is not universally popular with the prospective members.

The famous Ryder Cup trophy at Whistling Straits, in Wisconsin – the venue for 2020

Coltart: 2020 will go down in history

RORY McIlroy has led European calls for the event to be postponed – if fans are not going to be allowed at Whistling Straits.

Earlier this month, McIlroy was asked if he would consider refusing to play in a Ryder Cup without fans.

The World No. 1 said he would prefer the tournament to be played in 2021 – if it is not safe for fans to attend because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: “Look, I love the Ryder Cup. But I can’t see it without fans.

“I think there are enough people in the game who don’t want the Ryder Cup to happen without the fans.

“So this year it will be played with the fans if we can do that, or we’ll have to figure out kicking it down the road to a later date.

But Coltart believes the players have an obligation to entertain the millions of golf fans who would watch on TV, in addition to the 40,000 crowds expected on all three days.

It would give fans all around the world something to smile about after all the death and disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think if we can go ahead with it we should go ahead with it,” said Coltart, who made his Ryder Cup debut playing against Tiger Woods in the Sunday singlesat the Battle of Brookline, in 1999.

Coltart added: “I totally accept that won’t be an opinion shared by absolutely everybody.

“But nonetheless I think the world has been through a tumultuous period, a very difficult period for a lot of people.

“Some people have come through unscathed, other people have been nowhere near as fortunate.

“Golf is a great opportunity to heal the world – not just the sporting world – but the world in general.

“And I think the Ryder Cup is a fantastic opportunity for that.

“What better than two continents going at it in the cauldron of the Ryder Cup?

“Yes, there won’t be the fans, but people back home are crying out for some sense of normality – something to help pick their lives up from what has been a very, very difficult time.

“I accept that it won’t be like the Ryder Cups of years gone by.”

Rory McIlroy thinks the 2020 Ryder Cup will be postponed until 2021

Rory: No fans, no Ryder Cup

RORY McIlroy has led European calls for the event to be postponed – if fans are not going to be allowed at Whistling Straits.

McIlroy was asked if he would consider refusing to play in a Ryder Cup without fans, earlier this month.

He said: “Look, I love the Ryder Cup. But I can’t see it without fans.

“I think there are enough people in the game who don’t want the Ryder Cup to happen without the fans.

“So this year it will be played with the fans if we can do that, or we’ll have to figure out kicking it down the road to a later date.”

Coltart was one of two players controversially left out of the fourballs and foursomes on the first two days in Boston by captain Mark James.

The USA stormed back from a 10-6 deficit to win amid incredible scenes.

But they sparked one of the biggest rows in Ryder Cup history with accusations of unsporting behaviour levelled at the US team by captain Mark James.

Coltart accepts that the 2020 Ryder Cup is also certain to stand out in the competition’s history – which dates back to the first unofficial match between two teams representing the USA and Great Britain and Ireland at Wentworth in 1926.

The two-time European Tour winner said: “It will be very difficult for them, as they’ll always be remembered as the players who played in that Ryder Cup, or captained that Ryder Cup.

“But I think there’s maybe an obligation to the world to get that game played and to try and get us back to a sense of normality.”

USA captain Steve Stricker and Europe’s Padraig Harrington have discussed playing the Ryder Cup even if fans are barred in September. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Captains caught on either side of Ryder Cup debate

THE debate over holding the 2020 Ryder Cup with or without fans, in September, has split Tour golfers down the middle.

Senior European Tour figures like past captain Paul McGinley and current captain Padraig Harrington have changed their tune since speculation began with the COVID-19 lockdown in March.

While they spent the last couple of months trying to bang the drum for a fan-less Ryder Cup, McIlroy has been consistent in his stance.

McIlroy said in May: “I think the majority of players would like to see it pushed back until 2021 – so that they can play in front of crowds and have the atmosphere that makes the Ryder Cup so special.

“The players are the ones that make the Ryder Cup. If they are not on board with it and don’t want to play then there is no Ryder Cup.

“I see it being pushed back until 2021 and, honestly, I think that will be the right call.”

Ian Woosnam: Ryder Cup is all about the players

RORY made his debut at Celtic Manor in 2010 and has won 13 out of 24 points so far in five appearances.

He was famously almost late on the tee for his Sunday singles at Medinah in 2012. Rory required a police escort to get to the course after getting confused by the US time zones, while watching TV coverage in his hotel room.

Rory arrived with 12 minutes to spare. He beat Keegan Bradley 2&1 as Jose-Maria Olazabal’s team came back from 10-6 down to win 141/2-131/2.

Woosnam, who played in eight consecutive Ryder Cups, said last week: “For me it would be an absolute disaster.”

The first and only Welshman to win the Masters in 1991, told a ‘Ryder Cup at Home Social’ – alongside Peter Baker and Paul Lawrie – last Friday: “It’s all about the fans – the atmosphere, being there.

“I can understand the corporate side of it – and television. But you have to remember the players are playing for nothing, and it’s all about the players really. Everyone wants to be there.”

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European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington says the match against America may have to go ahead without fans – even though the idea is unpopular with some of his big name players

RYDER Cup captain Padraig Harrington has unintentionally named Luke Donald as a vice-captain for the 2020 Ryder Cup.

Harrington confirmed two things about his plans for Whistling Straits – if the biennial clash with the Americans can go ahead in September – in a TV interview with Sky Sports.

But while the European team captain insisted he will not be having 12 picks in response to the vastly changed PGA and European Tour schedule for the rest of 2020, he did not mean to announce publicly one of his picks for vice-captain at Wisconsin.

Harrington made the revelation he intends to have Luke Donald as a vice-captain for the 2020 Ryder Cup when speaking to Sky Sports’ Golf Show, talking to Sarah Stirk and Jamie Spence.

Harrington said he has been discussing his plans including tactics, logistics and golf stats with key members of his backroom team on a regular basis.

He then let it slip that Donald would be again be a vice-captain – a role he filled for Thomas Bjørn at Le Golf National in 2018 – earning wide acclaim on the European side as the USA were routed.

Harrington also said he agreed with the likes of Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy that playing without fans would take away much of the spectacle.

But the Irishman, who won back to back Opens and the USPGA at Oakland Hills four years after he helped Europe win the 2004 Ryder Cup at the Detroit course, has warned the Ryder Cup may HAVE to be played behind closed doors.

“None of the players want to have a Ryder Cup without the fans,” said Harrington, who said at the start of last month he believed the Ryder Cup would not go ahead off if fans were unable to be at Whistling Straits because of the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the USA in April.

“It’s an option that nobody wants to take, and the players don’t want it, Harrington told Sky.

“But we might have to take one for the world team of sport and put an event on that people can watch.

“It wouldn’t be the same for us, obviously, but it’s sport on TV that we’re all craving.

Padraig Harrington says he needs to be prepared as is he was playing the Whistling Straits course by Lake Michigan in the 2020 Ryder Cup – which may have to go ahead without fans

‘I need to be prepared as possible’

“If we see any live sport right now, we’d all be sitting at home watching it,” Padraig said.

“Clearly, nobody wants to play a Ryder Cup behind closed doors.

“But they’re keeping a prudent eye on it because they know that, if the PGA Tour events in June go well without the fans, it’s a possibility.”

Europe’s top two ranked players – Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm – have said the Ryder Cup will lose much of its appeal from the players’ viewpoint if it is played behind closed doors.

Irishman Harrington, who won three out of six Majors played between the 2007 Open at Carnoustie and the USPGA the following year, says he is determined to “be as prepared as possible” for a trip to Wisconsin in just over four months’ time.

“I’m trying to prepare every day like I’m going to play the Ryder Cup. It might not be a normal Ryder Cup in September, but I need to be as prepared as I can be,” said the 48-year-old.

“I’ve spoken to Guy Kinnings (Ryder Cup director) this week, I spoke to Luke, one of my vice-captains, yesterday, and I talked to the stats guy today because I’ve sat down to look at how my team would look if I had to pick it now.”

Harrington has so far only named Robert Karlsson as a vice-captain, but is expected to have four or five in total. Thomas Bjørn used Karlsson, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood, Donald and Harrington.

Padraig Harrington who unintentionally announced he intends to have Luke Donald as a vice-captain at the Ryder Cup in September. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

‘I won’t get 12 picks’ says Harrington

PADRAIG Harrington does not think he will need a one-off change of selection policy, allowing him to pick all 12 European players – because of the cancellation of the first here majors of 2020 which would have a big say on who would fill the top nine qualifying positions.

“I’m not getting 12 picks, that’s for sure,” said Harrington, live on The Golf Show on Sky Sports News, on Tuesday, having floated the idea at the start of April.

Harrington, who made his Ryder Cup debut in the infamous Battle of Brookline defeat in 1999, said: “The Tour have been very reasonable.

“They did the numbers on it, I asked for a few situations to do more numbers, and they presented that to the tournament committee to have a look.

“It’s not just reasonable, it’s actually quite fair whatever option I’ll have in terms of picks.

“It’s kind of irrelevant how many picks I get. The difficult pick is always going to be 11 and 12.

“Even if I had six picks, the last two would be the most difficult and they’re the ones that are usually more controversial.

“It’s not a huge deal in terms of how many picks I end up with, because it’ll come down to two people at the end.

“But it’s fair, and anyone that has played well, will be well looked after in this system, and there will still be room for manoeuvre for some players who haven’t played their way into the team so far.”

“I know the different models that are in place depending on when we get back to playing, so I’ll have a little look at that.

“I’m very happy with how the team is shaping up, but I’d certainly like to see some form before I have to make those picks.”

He is likely to name at least one vice-captain at the same time or shortly after the team is picked in early September.

Harrington (left) celebrates victory at The Belfry with Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood. Picture by STUART FLETCHER

Harrington teams won four of six Ryder Cups

HARRINGTON was one of just three Europeans to win their Sunday singles match as the Americans came back from 10-6 down to win by a point, in Boston.

He has played in six Ryder Cups – including in 2002 at The Belfry, the last time the event was postponed after the 9/11 attack on New York.

Harrington ended up on the winning team in four of them, winning 101/2 points in 25 matches.

The Dubliner’s last appearance was in Colin Montgomerie’s team at Celtic Manor in 2010.

Harrington was a vice-captain in 2014, 2016 and 2018, and became the third pro from Ireland and Northern Ireland to lead Europe in the Ryder Cup after Paul McGinley (2014) and Darren Clarke (2016).

As well as his three Majors, Harrington has 12 other European Tour wins to his name – the last at the 2016 Portugal Masters.

He also has three regular PGA Tour wins to his name and two more on the Asian Tour as well as a win in Japan.

He was named Europe’s 2020 Ryder Cup captain in January 2019.

Rory McIlroy who won the 2014 USPGA at Kiawah Island – scene of a famous Ryder Cup defeat for Europe back in 1991’s War on the Shore

Rory McIlroy: Without fans it won’t be the Ryder Cup

RORY McIlroy told the BBC two weeks ago that the Ryder Cup should be postponed until 2021 rather than be played in September without fans.

“A Ryder Cup without fans is not a Ryder Cup. It wouldn’t be a great spectacle, there’d be no atmosphere.

“So if it came to whether they had to choose between not playing the event or playing it without fans, I would say just delay it a year and play it in 2021.”

“Obviously it would be better for the Europeans to play without fans because we wouldn’t have to deal with some of the stuff you have to put up with, but at the same time it’s not a Ryder Cup,” added McIlroy.

It is nearly 21 years ago that US fans upset both Jose-Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie during the Sunday singles in the Battle of Brookline with abuse that brought condemnation from European captain Mark James.

If the Ryder Cup as pushed back to 2021 and then played again in 2023 it would allow Italy – one of the countries worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic – an extra year to prepare for hosting the event, said McIlroy.

The Northern Ireland golfer has four Majors to his name, but has not won one since the 2014 USPGA at Kiawah Island.

The South Carolina course was also the scene of more unsporting behaviour by US fans and players in the “War by the Shore.”

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The Golf Foundation is encouraging parents to help their children devise skills tests which can be practised in the home or garden during the coronavirus lockdown. Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

THE Golf Foundation is offering ideas and activities for PGA coaches and families so they can enjoy “Golf at Home fun” and learning after the Government extended the current coronavirus lockdown for another three weeks.

The charity has created a new Golf at Home page, which will help children to keep “loving their practice,” while staying happy and healthy with tips and video clips for lessons and games.

If features “Six Steps to Knockdown the Lockdown,” guiding parents to help their children learn new skills that are transferable from the garden or home to everyday life, once the lockdown ends.

The organisation that creates life changing opportunities for young people there is a strong focus on teaching transferable life skills through its golf programmes.

Guided by its experts on mental toughness – a company called Yeast – the six ideas should help families restricted to the home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Adapted from the foundation’s new Unleash your Drive life-skills workshop, the steps encourage family involvement, in fun games which promote creativity, reflection and confidence – always practising golf, while learning some valuable skills that are transferable to everyday life.

1. Get creative as a family – encourage the children to design their own Lockdown Knockdown challenge using cans or toys in the garden or indoors, any implement as a golf club and any type of ball such as a beach ball or even a tennis ball – as long as it’s safe.

Enjoy creating a challenge and working together to build it. Don’t be afraid of designing your own skills tests or practice drills to suit all abilities.

2. Encourage kids to positively self-reflect – ask them what they enjoyed about their challenge or practice game. What would they do differently next time?

Ask them at the end of every day to think of three things they have done well. Use open ended questions that begin with ‘How’, ‘What’ and ‘Why’ to challenge the children and to get them to really think about the answer by creating a bit of silence that they need to fill.

3. Help your children to ‘control their fizz’ – keeping calm – whether excited, nervous or agitated. Introduce a simple breathing exercise during your golf session – take a deep breath in for three-to-four seconds, hold for the same amount of time, and then breathe out for four-to-five seconds.

Repeat this cycle three or four times and ask them to notice how much calmer they feel. Ask your kids where else could they use this breathing technique? In school in lessons, trying to work at home with lots of distractions around, when they’re feeling nervous or wound up? Practise this together.

4. Reward effort, particularly in primary age children – “trying hard” is seen as more important than achieving the task in younger children so always congratulate your children on giving their best.

Try not to praise talent or ability – by getting young people to understand that ability comes as a result of working hard, it gives them inspiration to work hard in their practice.

5. Enjoy all practice time – remind them, and yourself, to enjoy the moment and commit to the challenge. If it’s achieved too easily, it will become boring. It’s okay to work hard at a challenge or task, particularly for teenagers.

6. Stay active and connected – keep in touch with your club PGA pro wherever possible. Ask his/her advice on practice. Remember to check the ‘Golf at Home’ page

Join in Golf at Home on social media

YOU will also see the hashtag #GolfatHome on social media created by The R&A, in which video clips and pictures of your great home practice scenarios can be uploaded and shared.

Among the golf starts to have supported the campaign, is Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington.

The Golf Foundation supports the Sport England’s ‘Stay In Work Out’ movement – see www.stayinworkout.org for some great ideas for fun activities.

For all PGA coaches, teachers and junior volunteers – if you would like to join an online training workshop on learning more about how to apply the mental toughness principles described here, email marketing@golf-foundation.org

“Stay safe, enjoy your golf at home – when we can get back to the fairways later on there will be no stopping us.” said a spokesman for the Golf Foundation, which is based in Hertfordshire.

Set up skills tests using toys and other objects to practice in the garden during lockdown

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Left to right: Ryder Cup captains Steve Stricker (USA) and Padraig Harrington (Europe) who issued a letter calling on golfers all over the world to unite to beat the coronavirus pandemic. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

A MESSAGE TO EVERYONE FROM USA AND EUROPE’S RYDER CUP CAPTAINS

EVERY two years Europe and the United States of America come together.

We are united by the shared values of sportsmanship and our desire to defeat a formidable opponent.

In doing so, we witness some incredible displays of determination, passion and spirit.

When Europe takes on the United States in the Ryder Cup it is always fiercely contested – but it is just golf.

It is not a matter of life and death – fighting coronavirus is.

Today, Europe and the United States are united like never before.

We have a formidable opponent, but it is not each other. It is like nothing we have ever faced before.

Defeating coronavirus won’t happen in three days. It won’t happen because of the efforts of only 12 men.

It needs all of us to play our part. So while Europe and the America once again come together, we also stand as one with all of our friends around the world during this unprecedented global crisis.

As Ryder Cup Captains, we proudly represent all the players, caddies, staff and partners of the European Tour and PGA of America.

And we speak on behalf of every single one of them when we say that our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected.

We also speak for them when we say that we are all moved by the incredible determination, passion and spirit we are witnessing from our health professionals, key workers and everyone else on the front line in this battle.

We are all indebted to the incredible work they are all doing.

Last week, some of the world’s leading golfers featured in a social media video thanking our heroes. We want to take this opportunity to reiterate our sincere gratitude to all of you once more.

Today is World Health Day. It should also be a day when we are all at Augusta National for the first Major of the 2020 season, but golf is insignificant right now.

Instead of celebrating someone in a Green Jacket, this week we rightly celebrate those selfless people around the world wearing scrubs, wearing white coats, wearing supermarket uniforms – together with everyone else working round the clock to protect us and keep the world functioning.

You are our true heroes. For them, we urge everyone to please stay safe, stay healthy and stay home.

And stay united.

•Both the PGA of America and the European Tour committed to work towards playing the Ryder Cup as scheduled at Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits Golf Club, from September 25-27, when a revised schedule for the 2020 Majors was issued by all the main golf tours – and the R&A and USGA – earlier this week.

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Justin Rose in the suite named after him at North Hants Golf Club, including a picture of him putting in the Ryder Cup at Medinah in the famous 2012 comeback win.

HAMPSHIRE’S Justin Rose thinks European captain Padraig Harrington may need eight captain’s picks as a one-off selection policy for the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, in September.

Rose is determined that whatever happens to the Majors in 2020, the Ryder Cup should remain the highlight of the golfing calendar – and does not want it cancelled at this stage as some sources have predicted.

Debate over rearranging the Masters before the Ryder Cup in September – or after in October – has raged since Augusta National postponed April’s first Major of the season.

And with doubts over the US Open going ahead in June after Winged Foot was closed earlier this week – as a result of the coronavirus epidemic in New York – talk about whether Ryder Cup will go ahead has been intensifying.

Rose said: “Looking at it personally I’m not in as good a position as I’d like to be so it makes qualification trickier with events being stripped out – so the teams might look a little different this time around.

“If it goes ahead in 2020, I don’t know if it’s more important that we change the qualification criteria and Padraig gets eight picks maybe – given the circumstances?

“Rules are rules and you’ve got to have some type of guideline,” added Rose, a member at North Hants GC.

“But it’s an imperfect world at the moment and we’ve got to make the best of a bad situation.

“We either keep it where it is and the teams fall where they may, or you move it a year and try to make it a bit more of a highlight.

“The most important thing is that the health of the world is better,” added Justin, who is spending time at his Bahamas home during the current lockdown.

Rose, who blossomed in the county’s amateur ranks before becoming one of the biggest teenage talents in Europe in the mid 1990s, is concerned about what kind of schedule the top Europeans could be left facing when the Tours do get back under way.

With all European Tour golf officially cancelled until the end of May – and with the rising death toll in the UK from COVID-19 cases not expected to peak for another couple of weeks – the season’s main events could all get squeezed into a condensed season.

May’s USPGA Championship, at TPC Harding Park, in San Franciscio, which was called off – and could theoretically move to the slot in the calendar vacated now the Tokyo Olympics has been put back a year.

But reigning Olympic Champion Rose – who learned on Tuesday that he would not be able to defend the Gold Medal he won in Rio, in 2016 – is concerned about what knock-on affect the coronavirus epidemic could have on the Ryder Cup.

Rose said: “The Ryder Cup deserves to be the highlight of the schedule and deserves to have the players look forward to it and the fans to be excited about it.

“It would be a shame if it just kind of fell into a rhythm of golf and there wasn’t as much build-up.

“That’s what creates some of the excitement about the Ryder Cup, the talking about it for a year, the anticipation of it.

‘The qualification period for the Ryder Cup would also be very condensed.”

•You can see the current standings in qualifcation for Europe’s team by clicking here.

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Thomas Bjørn, who captained Europe to victory in the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Paris Golf National, returns to Valderrama in May – where he made his debut against the USA, in 1997. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

RYDER Cup heroes Thomas Bjørn and Lee Westwood will return to the venue where they made their Ryder Cup debuts against the United States in 1997 when the European Tour returns to Spain in May.

The Ryder Cup winners have confirmed they will tee it up in the Estrella Damm NA Andalucía Masters – hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation – being held on the Costa del Sol, from April 30-May 3.

The pair made their Ryder Cup bows in the biennial contest between Europe and the United States, at Real Club Valderrama, 23 years ago when the hosts – captained by the late, great Seve Ballesteros – retained the coveted trophy with a 14½-13½ victory.

They contributed 3½ points to the European cause, as Westwood earned two points alongside Nick Faldo in foursomes and fourball matches, while Bjørn earned a half in the Sunday singles against Justin Leonard.

That added to the point he won with Ian Woosnam against Leonard and Brad Faxon.

Westwood is bidding for a European record-equalling 11th Ryder Cup appearance at Whistling Straits later this year.

The 46-year-old is just outside the qualification spots for Padraig Harrington’s side.

But Westwood, who is now based in the North East and will host the Betfred British Masters at Close House in late July, is currently second on the Race to Dubai Rankings after his victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, in January.

“There isn’t much you can say about Valderrama that hasn’t already been said,” said Westwood.

“It’s a fantastic golf course, and 1997 was very special because I made my Ryder Cup debut there and then won the Volvo Masters a few weeks later.

“It is an incredible test of golf, and it’s testament to Robert Trent Jones’ design that it has remained unchanged over the last 30 years.

“It’s a course that we all enjoy playing, and credit goes to Sergio Garcia and his foundation for helping to develop this tournament over the last four years.”

His close friend Bjørn is also looking forward to returning to the venue where his Ryder Cup journey began, culminating in his victorious captaincy two years ago at Le Golf National, Paris.

“Valderrama is an excellent golf course, and a test which we all enjoy returning to,” said the 15-time European Tour winner, who celebrated his 49th birthday earlier this month.

“To make my Ryder Cup debut in a side captained by Seve, in his home country, and at a world-class venue, was incredibly special.”

Lee Westwood, who is bidding to appear in his 12th Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, in September, was also in Seve Ballesteros’ side that beat the USA at Valderrama 23 years ago. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Bjørn captained Europe to a record Ryder Cup triumph in Paris, in 2018, to give Harrington the chance to defend the famous trophy in Wisconsin, in September.

Westwood, who hails from Worksop, in Nottinghamshire, and Bjørn will join a host of other European Tour stars at Valderrama, as the Estrella Damm NA Andalucía Masters returns to the famed Spanish venue in April.

Tickets are available, starting from €7 juniors and €15 for adults. Season tickets are available for the full week (€30 for juniors and €75 for adults), as well as weekend-only tickets (€15 and €40).

Click here to purchase tickets.

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Eurpoean captain Padraig Harrington will use his appearance at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic next month to make a check on the early front runners in the race for a Ryder Cup spot at Whistling Straits. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

EUROPEAN Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington will head to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in January, where he will be joined by his predecessor Thomas Bjørn and two-time winning assistant Miguel Ángel Jiménez.

The trio of European Tour legends join an already star-studded field, which sees the return of the tournament-record setting defending champion, Bryson DeChambeau.

Previous winners Rafa Cabrera Bello, Sergio Garcia, Haotong Li, Henrik Stenson and Danny Willett will also be in attendance, in addition to a string of other big names – including Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Ian Poulter, Matt Wallace and Lee Westwood.

The oldest tournament in the region and the longest running on the circuit outside of Europe will be played on the Majlis Course, at Emirates Golf Club.

The Majis was recently crowned the best in the Middle East by Golf Digest.

Harrington will make his eighth appearance at the Dubai Desert Classic next month, and will no doubt have a busy week assessing those in early contention for one of 12 Ryder Cup berths in September – a fact that does not escape the Irishman.

“The Omega Dubai Desert Classic is one of our most iconic events and one I cannot wait to return to,” said Harrington, who finished in a tie for second alongside Tiger Woods at this event in 2001, two shots adrift of Bjorn.

“There is a lot of golf to be played between now and Whistling Straits and, in that time, I hope to play with everyone who is in contention for the team.

“I can think of no better place to do so than Emirates Golf Club, so I’m looking forward it,” added the Irishman, who will arrive in the United Arab Emirates in search of his 16^th European Tour title.

Thomas Bjorn’s win in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, beating Tiger Woods down the stretch in 2001, is one of the tournament’s most famous wins. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Bjørn knows what it takes to triumph over Team USA, but with his experience in Paris behind him, 2020 provides a great opportunity for the “Great Dane” to demonstrate how he earned that moniker.

What better place than an event the 48-year old has tasted success at before having, some 18 years ago, played alongside Woods on all four days to deliver one of the event’s most iconic closing Sundays.

“I always love coming back to Dubai and the Desert Classic has so many great memories for me,” said Bjorn.

“To go toe-to-toe with Tiger and come out on top is not something many people can lay claim to, so it is a moment from my career that I will never forget.

“The Majlis Course is always in impeccable condition and it will be great to get out there again in January,” Bjorn added.

Jimenez’s 26th start in Dubai Desert Classic

No stranger to the Dubai Desert Classic, Jiménez – nicknamed The Mechanic – will make his 26^th appearance at the 2020 event, none more impressive than his winning display nine years ago.

That year the Spaniard, who was assistant to Jose Maria Olazabal in 2012’s Miracle of Medinah and two years later helping Paul McGinley’s side at Gleneagles, beat Westwood in extra holes.

Victory came some five years after Jimenez narrowly lost out to three-time winner Ernie Els, as the South African eagled the 72^nd hole to win by a stroke in 2006.

“I first played in this event back in 1991, so it has been amazing to come back virtually every year and see how much the place has changed,” said the 55-year-old, who won the Senior Open at St Andrews, in 2018.

Jimenez has seven victories in the States since joining the Champions Tour in 2014, including last year’s Regions Tradition Major to go with his 21 European Tour victories between 1992 and 2014.

“I have some amazing memories from my visits to Dubai and my win here is a stand-out for me,” added Jimenez, who won 14 of those European Tour titles in 10 years after turning 40.

“I still enjoy coming out and proving I have what it takes to keep up with the young guys, so I’m looking forward to doing just that in a few weeks,” said Jimenez, who is the oldest player to have won on the European Tour at 50.

Miguel Angel Jimenez playing in the 2019 Omega Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates’ Majis Course. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

The inaugural Omega Dubai Desert Classic was won by Yorkshire’s Mark James.

It has gone on to establish a roll of honour boasting some of the biggest names in golf over the past 30 years – including the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Fred Couples, Rory McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie and Woods.

Next month’s event will boast an exciting new “Tournament Town,” which will offer a first-class culinary experience and the latest in family entertainment.

With the four-day event set to be bigger and better than ever, there is still time to book daily, season or Terrace Hospitality tickets, with prices starting from 75 dirham.

•To purchase hospitality, season or daily tickets, go to: https://www.omegadubaidesertclassic.com/buy-tickets/

For more information on the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, visit: https://www.omegadubaidesertclassic.com/

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Nicholas Colsearts has been a regular visitor to Mauritius over the last decade… now as a recent European Tour winner he has his sights set on playing in more Majors and another Ryder Cup. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

BELGIAN stars Nicolas Colsaerts and Thomas Pieters are looking forward to rounding off a successful year in style when they tee it up in the idyllic surroundings of Heritage Golf Club for this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

The two former Ryder Cup players returned to winning ways during the 2019 season – and now have the opportunity to claim another title before the year is out in the second event of the 2020 Race to Dubai.

The chance to work their way into European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington’s team for the next edition of the biennial contest in September is in the back of both of their minds.

But Colsaerts is first and foremost relishing the opportunity to play with freedom in the coming months, after erasing doubts about securing his 2020 card by lifting his third European Tour trophy at the Amundi Open de France, at Le Paris National, in October.

Colsaerts, who has had a home at Ernie Els’ Anihita Golf Club on the east coast of the island in the Indian Ocean for some time, said after the French win secured his status: “I came from not knowing if I had to go to Q-School to now having two years’ exempt.

“I played a lot of events last year. We have a young boy at home and you sometimes wish you could spend more time at home, which will definitely be the case next year, bit of a lighter schedule,” added Colsearts who became a father for the first time in 2019.

“Being able to play these events with a different mindset is something that I look forward to.

“You always have pretty much the same goals, you want to add as many lines as possible to your CV. We’re into a Ryder Cup year, and I want to keep playing big events.

“I haven’t played in the Majors for a couple of years now, so it would be good to have a chance again.

“The mindset will be totally different. I really look forward to 2020 and being able to tee it up a bit more freely and try to make the most out of these weeks.

“I’m fortunate enough to have been coming to Mauritius for 20 years. It’s always been a very popular destination for golfers from Europe in winter.

“The list of qualities that this place has is endless – the hospitality, the scenery, the food, the weather and now golf tournaments as well.”

While Colsaerts – who was one of the heroes in the Ryder Cup win at Medinah in 2012 – has been a regular visitor to Mauritius for two decades, this week is an all-new experience for his compatriot Pieters, who is soaking up the island life for the first time.

After claiming the D+D Real Czech Masters title in August, the 2016 Ryder Cup star enjoyed a strong end to the season with a tied sixth place finish at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

Pieters is looking forward to carrying that form in to the new season at the fifth edition of the unique island event, tri-sanctioned with the Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour.

“It was lovely to finish off with a good result in Dubai,” said Pieters. “I played pretty well and felt like my game was turning.

“It’s almost a shame that the season had to end for me in Dubai. Happy to be playing here – it’s the first time I have played before Abu Dhabi. It’s almost like getting a bit of a head start. Looking forward to it.

“Ryder Cup is going to be on my mind and on my list, but there is so much golf to be played before then. Any points will help.

“This week at some point it will pop into my mind. If you’re having a bad stretch during a round you just remind yourself that every point counts and every shot counts. That’s the mindset you need to have.

“I’m absolutely loving it here. I’ve never been on really white beaches before, the water is so clear, beautiful scenery.

“I went swimming with dolphins on Sunday, which was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

“You can go snorkelling on the beach and then it’s a five-minute stroll to the driving range. You’ve got everything you need here.”

Bezuidenhout and Harding lead the African entries with fellow winners Law and McEvoy

ALSO in the field for this this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open are South African winners Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Justin Hardin, who both won on the 2019 season.

The pair are joined by Essex’s Richard McEvoy, who claimed victory in the 2018 Porsche European Open, and Scotland’s David Law, who won the ISPS Handa Vic Open, in Australia, in February.

Meanwhile Lancashire’s Lee Slattery has been given a sponsor’s invite after the Formby Hall pro lost his Tour card and was unable to finish in the top 25 at last month European Tour Qualfying School, in Spain.

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie the 1999 Open Champion at Carnoustie, who like Law hails from Aberdeen, is also one of the 10 players to receive a sponsor’s inviate along with Spaniard Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño.

The seven-time European Tour winner who lost his card having moved to Florida, failed to keep his PGA Tour card in 2015 after two years playing in the States.

He played on the Web.com Tour and returned to the top level in 2017 – only to fail to make the top 125 on the FedEx Cup money list by just one spot, forcing him to return to Europe for the past two years.

A 104th place finish on the Race to Dubai kept a card for 2019, but he was in 127th place last month missing out on a place in the top 115 that would hav secured his status for 2020 by 67.4 points.

•For tee times at this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open click here.

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