Golf: Faldo and Parnevik issue warning

Nick Faldo and Jesper Parnevik have issued a joint warning to the European Tour from the US Open in Tulsa.

Neither Faldo nor Parnevik are now expecting Europe to be able to field their strongest possible Ryder Cup side in September.

For both believe that the qualifying system chosen by Europe is probably about to harm their chances of winning back the trophy.

"I've been talking to Jesper this week and we have both agree that we've been lucky in the past and we don't think we will be this time," said Faldo.

Rather than changing the selection process to allow for the fact that more players are playing more in America, the Tour decided to stick with allowing captain Sam Torrance only two wild cards.

The other 10 places come off a table based on performance in 45 events - the four Majors, three world championships and 38 regular European Tour events.

With only 14 remaining the following are among those not currently in that top 10 - Colin Montgomerie in 12th, Miguel Angel Jimenez 15th, Sergio Garcia 16th, Faldo 19th, Paul Lawrie 22nd, Bernhard Langer 24th and Parnevik down in 71st.

"Jesper and I can see it coming down to Sam having to pick two out of five," added Faldo. "I've been saying it for a long time that there's a lot of players going to the States now and the system has got to reflect that.

"We should go off the world ranking list and maybe have the qualifying over two years instead of one (as America does). It all needs reviewing."

That review is already in the pipeline, but not in time to save the situation for this year.

A proposal by the Tour's tournament committee last July was not ratified by the Ryder Cup Committee because they thought it needed looking into more.

Faldo's reference to "we've been lucky in the past" goes back to the 1995 and 1997 matches.

Only an injury to Jose Maria Olazabal allowed Ian Woosnam to play in the win at Oak Hill and only the controversy over Miguel Angel Martin - axed for refusing a fitness test - allowed Parnevik to make his debut in the Valderrama victory.