Rory McIlroy has backed Darren Clarke over his Ryder Cup captain's picks
Friday 2 September 2016 20:16, UK
Rory McIlroy has backed Darren Clarke's decision to include Thomas Pieters in Europe's Ryder Cup team.
Clarke elected to include the Belgian following his European Tour win at the Made In Denmark tournament last weekend.
Pieter's inclusion came as a surprise to some, given that Russell Knox was overlooked, even though he is currently ranked higher than seven members of the European team.
However, McIlroy backed Clarke over his picks as captain and remains confident Europe can secure a fourth consecutive Ryder Cup triumph at Hazeltine National next month, live on Sky Sports.
"I think everyone was pretty confident that Martin [Kaymer] and Lee [Westwood] were going to get picked," said McIlroy.
"You looked at our automatic selections and we probably needed a bit more experience in there.
"You have the four, Sergio [Garcia], Henrik [Stenson], Justin [Rose] and myself, and then you have the five rookies, although we have the Masters champion [Danny Willett] as a rookie.
"So to add a little bit of experience in there was necessary. That last pick could have gone to anyone - what Thomas did in Denmark was impressive.
"Russell Knox has played well throughout the year and Luke Donald showed a bit of form and he has that experience in the Ryder Cup - so there were a few guys to consider.
"I wouldn't have liked to have been in Darren's shoes - it was a tough decision to make. But I think Thomas will be a great addition to the team."
