Cup back on agenda for Europeans

Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia, a partnership America can expect to face again next September, have the chance this week to set the pace when Europe’s Ryder Cup qualifying starts.

Winners of both their games together in the record-breaking victory in Detroit last September, the duo head the field for the Omega European Masters high up in the Swiss Alps at Crans-sur-Sierre.

Last year Donald, fresh from being handed a wildcard by Bernhard Langer, won by five shots with a dazzling 19-under-par display in which his worst round was a 67, while Garcia was in a tie for third place.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, who was runner-up, and Paul Casey are the only other members of last year’s side wasting no time in their search for points.

Five more – Colin Montgomerie, Padraig Harrington, David Howell, Paul McGinley and Ian Poulter – enter the race at next week’s German Masters.

Donald is close to achieving his objective for the season of a place in the world’s top 10, but his move up to 14th has so far been done without a victory and that will be the motivation for the 27-year-old.

Second in the Players Championship in March and third on his Masters debut in April, the High Wycombe golfer had a disappointing summer, but was sixth in the NEC World Championship in Akron two weeks ago and led the BMW International in Munich last week before falling away to 11th with a closing 73.

Three good rounds out of four, as happened both times, will not satisfy such an ambitious young man.

Two weeks ago he linked up with his Chicago-based coach Pat Goss and their main focus was on “trying not to be so down on myself”.

Donald stated: “Obviously I would love to play well every week, but I guess I was beating myself up a little bit too much.

“It’s encouraging to know that I’ve made the cut in all four majors, but my last three were not what I wanted.”

He was 57th in the US Open, 52nd in the Open and 66th in the USPGA Championship.

Sixth-ranked Garcia is currently Europe’s only representative in the world’s top 10 – Harrington has dropped to 11th – but his failure once again to grab a first major title inevitably means it has not been the year the 25-year-old wanted.

“I think it’s been a solid season, but I wouldn’t say it’s been extraordinary mainly because I haven’t putted well,” said Garcia.

The statistics bear out Garcia’s words as, while he is ninth on the US Tour money list, he ranks an incredible 202nd in putting.

“It’s a shame because I really felt like my game was very, very good this year and I haven’t been able to take advantage of that,” he added.

“But I feel like it’s getting closer and closer. It’s just a matter of keep working on the things I’m working on and keep getting better.

“I’ve worked quite a bit mainly on my stroke and getting my alignment right. I used to be quite a bit aimed right and kind of hooking the ball a little bit.

“The other thing I’m working pretty hard on is trying to keep my head as straight as possible through impact and I’ve been doing a better job lately.

“I’ve found something that I think is going to help me a lot and I’m looking forward to having a good end of the season.”