LONDON:
Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey and Sergio Garcia were handed the four wildcard picks to make the European Ryder Cup team on Wednesday, as captain Thomas Bjorn put his faith in experience.
England’s Poulter, a talisman for Europe in past Ryder Cups, has returned to form this year after missing the 2016 defeat by the US at Hazeltine.
All four picks have been part of multiple winning sides, although Spaniard Garcia has struggled this year, missing the cut at each of the last five major tournaments.
British Open champion Francesco Molinari, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, English trio Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton, Jon Rahm, Alex Noren and Thorbjorn Olesen had already qualified automatically for the 28-30 September event to be held just outside Paris.
Bjorn opted for 2017 Masters champion Garcia ahead of Belgian Thomas Pieters, who won four points two years ago as a rookie, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Matt Wallace.
“The one thing about Sergio is that he’s the heartbeat of the team. It’s like a football team going without their captain, that’s what it’s like for us,” said the Dane.
It will be the 38-year-old Garcia’s ninth Ryder Cup appearance, having been the youngest man to play in the event’s history as a 19-year-old in 1999.
On Tuesday, the US announced Tiger Woods as one of three wildcard picks for the US team alongside Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau.
Woods is playing for the first time since 2012, having recovered from back surgery.
Europe name Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson as wildcards for Ryder Cup
Europe name Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson as wildcards for Ryder Cup
Messi bags 899th goal as Miami down DC United
- The Argentine superstar’s 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone
WASHINGTON, United States: Lionel Messi moved to the brink of another goalscoring milestone as Inter Miami bagged their second win of the Major League Soccer season with a 2-1 victory over DC United on Saturday.
Messi, who scored twice in Miami’s Florida derby win over Orlando last week, bagged his third goal of the season with a deft chipped finish in the 27th minute at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
The Argentine superstar’s 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone.
The eight-time Ballon D’Or winner, who turns 39 in June, scored 672 goals for Barcelona earlier in his career and 32 at Paris Saint-Germain, with a further 115 international goals for Argentina.
Saturday’s win moved the reigning MLS champions up the Eastern Conference standings into third place with six points from three games.
Miami, who on Thursday were guests of President Donald Trump at a White House reception, took the lead in the 17th minute with a superb curling shot from the edge of the area by Messi’s Argentina team-mate Rodrigo De Paul.
Messi then doubled Miami’s lead 10 minutes later, latching on to a sublime through ball from Mateo Silvetti and dinking a first-time finish over the advancing DC United goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
United rallied after half-time, and were given hope when Israeli forward Tai Baribo pulled a goal back in the 75th minute.
Miami though were able to hold off United in the closing stages to seal victory.
