Ross McFarlane said that Padraig Harrington's selection for the Ryder Cup 'almost beggars belief'.
Harrington call-up is extremely harsh on Rose, says McFarlane
Padraig Harrington's selection for Europe's Ryder Cup team "almost beggars belief", according to Sky Sports expert Ross McFarlane.
Harrington got the nod ahead of Justin Rose and Paul Casey for one of the three wildcards handed out by captain Colin Montgomerie ahead of the event at Celtic Manor, with the other two going to Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari.
Although Harrington has three major titles to his name, he has failed to win a game in each of the last two Ryder Cups he has played in at Valhalla and the K Club in 2008 and 2006 respectively.
A stunned McFarlane told
Sky Sports News: "It beggars belief almost. That is a shock to me. It's the one name really that most people were casting aside.
"The form is not good enough, he hasn't committed himself to the European Tour at all, his schedule has been US-based, he hasn't supported the European Tour enough.
"Yet the team - Colin and his three vice-captains - have come up with Padraig Harrington who has a record that doesn't make great reading; he's won seven, lost 11 and halved three.
"What he's saying is 'how can you not have a three-time major champion in your team?' Well, you don't have him in your team if he's not playing well enough.
"Maybe Harrington can come round and prove what a good pick it was and show us just how good a player he is and come out and win four or five points for the European side and then go 'yah, boo, sucks' to all of us who ever said he would never be on the team."
Shock
Montgomerie opted not to hand a wildcard to Paul Casey or Justin Rose, who picked up three points out of four on his debut, partnering Ian Poulter to two victories on the way.
"To put Harrington in above Justin Rose is quite a shock," said McFarlane. "He won twice in three weeks last month in the US and nearly won three weeks in a row.
"His form has been brilliant. He's an in-form player - that's what you've got to look at. For me, you are taking somebody (Harrington) just because they won a few things two or three years ago.
"Poulter will be thinking 'who are they going to be putting me with? Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer, Miguel Angel Jimenez?' I'm not really sure.
"The good thing about Ian Poulter and the rest of the team is that they are all there on merit. They've played well to get on that team and they are all ready and raring for action.
"Ian Poulter will say he will play with anybody but when you are going to put a team together that is going to gel and almost have an intimidation factor, it's strange.
"Luke Donald has done everything that he needed to do bar qualify of his own right. He was asked to come over by Colin and won at the 2010 golf course, so he turned around and said this is why you pick me even if I don't play enough events in Europe or qualify by right.
"Molinari just turned around and said 'if I win this week (at the Johnnie Walker Championship) are you going to pick me' and Colin probably said 'yes', and that's exactly what he did."
