Langer Ryder captaincy indecision slated by Faldo

NICK FALDO yesterday criticised Bernhard Langer’s indecision over the Ryder Cup captaincy — and ruled himself out of being a last-minute substitute skipper.

Langer revealed last month he had not given up hope of qualifying to play on the European team which will defend the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills next September, and would give up the captaincy if he looked like doing so.

The veteran German insists that decision would be made early enough not to leave the European team in the lurch, but Faldo was surprised such a possibility was seemingly not discussed before Langer was offered the role.

“When does he change his mind, after the shirts have been selected or before,” said Faldo, who is trying to qualify for a 12th Ryder Cup appearance himself.

“I’m surprised they didn’t ascertain that fact beforehand. I thought we had an interviewing process or some sort of system; you thought that would have been one of the questions you would have asked or for the committee to decide on. I thought that was the purpose of it.

“I am still unclear as to what the exact procedure is to be honest, although I would like to know when I pursue that in a year’s time or so.”

That is a reference to Faldo’s desire to captain the team in Ireland in 2006, but he would not be willing to step into the breach for 2004 if Langer did wish to hand over the captaincy.

Faldo is preparing for this week’s lucrative Linde German Masters in Cologne.

“I haven’t done well in those events in the past really so I wanted to gear myself up for here really because I am going to play more at the end of the season, have a rest in January, then have a pretty heavy schedule all through the summer next year.”

Darren Clarke makes his first appearance since winning the NEC Invitational in America and claiming a Challenge Tour title in Northern Ireland last week, while last week’s winner Retief Goosen, in-form Kiwi Michael Campbell, Australian Adam Scott, Ian Poulter and Pádraig Harrington are all in Cologne.