Langer blames course for poor European showing

Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer did a neat side-step today when he was asked about the European flop at last week’s US Open.

Back from an eight-week injury lay-off for the French Open starting tomorrow, Langer’s answer focused on the difficulty of Shinnecock Hills rather than the players’ inability to cope with it.

Sergio Garcia, even with a closing 80, was the top European down in 20th place and the 19-strong contingent finished a collective 222 over par – and that with 11 not surviving to the weekend, when things went from tough to horrendous.

“There were two or three holes which were almost unfair,” said Langer, who has not played since April because of wrist trouble.

“I was watching on TV and saw five or six guys putt off the green. The greatest players in the world don’t putt off the green that many times. It was just very, very difficult circumstances.

“On Sunday 18% of the players hit the 10th green – one in six, which is ridiculous. Guys were having 60 or 70-yard shots in and couldn’t keep it on the green.”

September’s match is at Oakland Hills in Detroit and Langer does not expect to see it set up in the same way.

“I don’t think they are going to go to that extreme. I hope not and if they do it will be just as bad for their own players.

“But I have never seen Ryder Cup venues set up like that. I think it will be set up very fair as a good test of golf.”

Just 10 events remain before Langer knows the first five of his team off the world ranking points list, followed a week later by five more from the European Order of Merit. Then he will add two wild cards.

“I like the way it is shaping up,” he added. “We have some of the best players, if not all the best players, in there. We have some experienced players, a few newcomers, but there could still be some changes, particularly the last three, four or five spots.

“They are still fairly open. We still have two months to go and a lot of stuff could happen – there’s a lot of money to be played for.”

The purse this week, for instance, has gone up from £1.7million to nearly £2million. The European and Scottish Opens over the next two weeks pay £2.2million each and then comes the £4million Open championship at Royal Troon.

Eight players have travelled on from New York to Le Golf National near Versaille, although the only two who made the cut are South African Trevor Immelman and Australian Robert Allenby, whose closing level-par 70 was the round of the day and took him all the way up to joint seventh spot.

Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Brian Davis, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Levet are all looking to make swift amends for their early exits, while Colin Montgomerie, who missed his first major since 1991, is also in the field.

Montgomerie is currently 21st in the race for places in Langer’s team and has had more on his mind than golf following his split from wife Eimear.

“I know it is difficult for him,” commented Langer. “It’s not going to be easy to put that out of his mind and play great golf.

“It has got to have an impact on everything you do. Hopefully, he will overcome it sooner rather than later and find the form he is capable of.

“Who wouldn’t want an in-form Monty? He’s a great player and when he plays well he is hard to beat. He’s not that far away – all it takes is one or two good weeks in the weeks to come and he is right in there.”

The Open is not a week when he is certain to be playing, though. Montgomerie, Langer and Rose all find themselves having to enter the 36-hole qualifying tournament at Sunningdale next Monday.

As for his return to action, Langer said: “Obviously I’m a bit apprehensive. I don’t think I’ve ever had eight weeks off in the middle of the year and this is a very tough test. I wasn’t at Shinnecock, but this rough looks worse.”

Casey reckoned his pro-am partners in today’s strong winds lost around 30 balls, while Levet put his group’s collective loss at 50.

Worryingly, balls were moving on some of the greens, but the wind is expected to relent once the tournament starts.