Fasth eyes Ryder Cup

Niclas Fasth began the defence of his Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship title today hoping for a much-needed boost to his Ryder Cup hopes.

Fasth was 12th in the standings after winning the Spanish Open in a play-off in April but has failed to record a single top-10 since to slide outside the top 20.

Only six weeks remain until Ian Woosnam’s 12-man team is finalised, but with 600,000 points on offer to the winner in Hamburg, Fasth has not given up hope of making his second appearance in the contest at The K Club in September.

“I’m obviously rather disappointed with this year’s performance,” admitted the 34-year-old, who was denied the chance of holing the winning putt at The Belfry in 2002 by Paul Azinger’s holed bunker shot on the 18th.

“I won once, which is always good, but it has been a bit average. Some things in my focus haven’t been ideal and I’m making adjustments accordingly.

“But I’m only lately really coming to terms with the fact I will have to change a little bit the way I practice. Last year coming into this tournament my coach told me: ’Let’s just forget about all the practice and have fun,’ and that’s what I did.”