Paul Lawrie On Potential 'Joke' Ryder Cup Captaincy Selection
The Scot thinks it would be a joke if Thomas Bjorn got the job whilst serving on the selection panel
Paul Lawrie fears that the Ryder Cup captaincy selection could be "a joke" if Thomas Bjorn is named Europe's replacement skipper for 2023 despite being on the voting panel.
Lawrie, the 1999 Open champion and two-time Ryder Cupper, is one of the contenders to replace Henrik Stenson after the Swede relinquished the role to join LIV Golf.
The Scot was vice captain to Darren Clarke at Hazeltine in 2016 and will be near the top of the selection list alongside the likes of Bjorn, Luke Donald and Robert Karlsson for the newly-vacant Rome 2023 job. However, Lawrie has heard of Bjorn becoming captain again "being bandied about" and has implied that he shouldn't get the job due to being on the selection panel
The process is the process,” Lawrie told The Telegraph at last week's Senior Open.
“My situation has not changed, I assume they just go back to the way they did it before, with the five guys voting on the other three people who were up for the job initially.
“I’m led to believe that might not be the case. And if it’s not the case then it’s a joke, to be honest.
“You hear Thomas' name being bandied about now. I don’t see how that can be the case. He’s voting. How can you get the job when you are voting? Now that Henrik is out of the picture, surely the same five people vote for the three who were up for the job in the first place.
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“You can’t change the rules. The process is the process. Let’s see. It’ll be fun and games if it’s not, I’m telling you.”
It remains to be seen who Europe's next Ryder Cup captain will be, with an announcement expected soon ahead of the match starting in just 14 months' time.
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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