European team changes selection criteria

Feb 8, 2011, 17:07 GMT

Berlin - The selection criteria for the European Ryder Cup team has been changed, the European Tour said on Tuesday.

The previous selection criteria saw players who were in the world top ten miss out on a place in the biennial competition which sees the best European golfers take on their American counterparts.

European captain Jose Maria Olazabal requested a change and said in a statement issued by the European Tour that he was happy that they had agreed to the change.

'The only reason that I asked for a change in the criteria is because I believe that it will give me the strongest team possible to defend the Ryder Cup.'

'The qualification criteria will now see the leading five players from the European points list joined by the leading five players from the World points list as automatic qualifiers to the European team.

'This represents a reversal of the two lists with the European points list counting before the World points list,' the statement said.

Olazabal has two choices for his captains picks to complete the 12-man team.

Europe won the Ryder Cup in Newport, Wales last year and the next competition will be held at Medinah Country Club, Chicago, Illinois in September 2012.

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