From despondency to delight for Ryder Cup team

COULD it be the European Ryder Cup team is finding form at just the right time? It’s not that any of them exactly set the course alight in the Linde German Masters at the weekend but with the exception of Paul McGinley and Philip Price, seven other members of the side performed with varying degrees of efficiency.

There has been nothing but despondency for most of the past 12 months over Pierre Fulke. The Swede could do little right but as the Ryder Cup drew ever closer, positive vibes were emanating from a man who all too often had to suffer the sight of the second and third letters of his surname being misspelled deliberately.

He remains one of five Europeans not qualified for this week's American Express World Championship at Mount Juliet and so goes to The Belfry, his confidence bolstered by shooting 14 under par in Cologne for a share of 12th place. It is reasonable to assume he could now hold his end up once the call comes from skipper Sam Torrance. Furthermore, the enigmatic Niclas Fasth eventually came good in the German Masters, atoning for three ordinary rounds with a cracking 65 on Sunday. It could be that Torrance will see Fulke and Fasth as a readymade pairing at some stage of the opening two days.