Skip to content

Ryder Cup: Matt Wallace among players not to get European pick

during singles matches of the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club on October 2, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota.

Thomas Bjorn sided with experience when naming his four captain's pick, but who misses out on featuring for Europe's Ryder Cup side?

The Dane had a number of names to consider when completing his team for Le Golf National, where Europe will be looking to avenge their 17-11 defeat to Team USA at Hazeltine in 2016.

Countdown to the Ryder Cup...
Countdown to the Ryder Cup...

Latest news ahead of the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National.

Bjorn elected to go with four Ryder Cup veterans when naming his selections on Wednesday, with Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey all given spots in the team.

Who else could have been considered for a place in the European team? We take a look at some of the notable names who didn't get a pick…

Russell Knox

during the final round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Ballyliffin Golf Club on July 8, 2018 in Donegal, Ireland.
Image: Knox failed to earn a captain's pick for Le Golf National

With the top eight players on the European Points List all automatically qualifying for Bjorn's team, Knox was next in the standings despite playing a limited schedule on the European Tour.

Knox's Dubai Duty Free Irish Open victory in July, his first worldwide win since 2016, came a week after taking the runner-up spot at the Open de France - held at this month's Ryder Cup venue.

Also See:

The Scot was controversially left out Darren Clarke's captain's picks two years' ago, but seems a more logical choice to miss out this time around after registering only three top-10s in 25 worldwide starts this year.

Rafa Cabrera Bello

during the final round of the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston on September 3, 2018 in Norton, Massachusetts.
Image: Cabrera Bello finished tied-seventh at the Dell Technologies Championship

The Spaniard is the highest player on the World Points List not to get selected, finishing the year 10th in the standings, two years on from an unbeaten Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine.

Cabrera Bello registered 2.5 points from his three matches in 2016, twice playing alongside Sergio Garcia, with the 34-year-old since juggling his schedule to play on both sides of the Atlantic.

A poor summer saw him miss three consecutive cuts and struggle to a 74th-place finish at The Open, although he has recently shown a return to form with four top-20s over the last five weeks.

Matt Wallace

 during day two of the Made in Denmark played at the Silkeborg Ry Golf Club on August 31, 2018 in Silkeborg, Denmark.
Image: Wallace is up to a career high of 53rd in the world rankings

The 28-year-old becomes the first player since Johan Edfors in 2006 to win three times in a Ryder Cup year and not feature in a European campaign.

Wallace missed out on automatic qualification, despite following victories at the Hero Indian Open and the BMW International Open by winning the Made In Denmark in the final qualifying event.

With captain Bjorn watching on, the Englishman birdied five of his last six holes to get into a play-off and birdied both extra holes to take the title - his fourth in just over 15 months - but will have to wait for the chance to make his Ryder Cup debut.

Matt Fitzpatrick

during singles matches of the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club on October 2, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota.
Image: Fitzpatrick needed to win at the Made In Denmark to have a chance of automatically qualifying

Fitzpatrick narrowly missed out on a qualification place for Paris, with a tied-seventh finish at the Made In Denmark not enough to overtake Thorbjorn Olesen for the final automatic spot.

The Englishman closed out the year-long campaign by finishing with back-to-back bogey-free 66s at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club, having struggled for consistency with his putting in recent months.

Fitzpatrick failed to register a point in his two matches as a rookie at Hazeltine, with three top-10s in 20 appearances in 2018 not enough to secure a second Ryder Cup appearance.

Thomas Pieters

during morning foursome matches of the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club on October 1, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota.
Image: Pieters played in all five sessions in 2016, including three alongside McIlroy

Two years on from forming a formidable partnership with Rory McIlroy and registering four points in a sensational Ryder Cup debut, Pieters misses out on a captain's pick this time around.

Pieters won all three matches alongside McIlroy at Hazeltine, leading to the Northern Irishman to want him part of the team 'for the next 20 years', but has since failed to replicate his 2016 form.

The Belgian is without a win since the 2016 Made In Denmark and has dropped out of the world's top 60, with a top-six finish at the PGA Championship the highlight of an otherwise disappointing summer.

Eddie Pepperell

during the third round of the Made in Denmark played at the Silkeborg Ry GC on September 1, 2018 in Silkeborg, Denmark.
Image: Pepperell played alongside Bjorn at the Made In Denmark

Pepperell was still in with a shout of automatically qualifying for a Ryder Cup debut heading into the Made In Denmark, but saw his hopes ended with a tied-56th finish.

The Englishman broke back into the world's top 100 with victory at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in February, as well as following a runner-up finish at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open with a share of sixth at The Open.

Now up to world No 62, having lost his European Tour card in 2016 and having to return to Qualifying School, Pepperell finished 10th on the European Points List and 14th on the World Points List.

What did you make of Bjorn's selections? Comment below to get involved in the debate, but please adhere to our House Rules. If you wish to report any comment, simply click on the down arrow next to the offending comment and click 'Report'.

Around Sky