Forgotten Irish as Langer set for Ryder captaincy again

IT’S now official - there will NOT be an Irish captain of the European Ryder Cup team at The K-Club in September 2006.

The players’ committee of the European Tour - which includes two Irish members, Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke - met this week and reduced the number of candidates to three, the present incumbent Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam.

Colin Montgomerie had earlier withdrawn his name and the Irish candidates, Des Smyth, Christy O’Connor Jnr and Eamonn Darcy, were eliminated.