Abu Dhabi: Darren Clarke says having an extra wildcard pick as Europe’s 2016 Ryder Cup captain would not have made a difference to last year’s 17-11 defeat to the United States at Hazeltine.
Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn will have four wildcard picks for his team in 2018, as the US did last year, while Clarke had only three.
The 12-man European team for next year’s competition at Le Golf National in Paris will comprise the first four players from the European points list, the leading four players from the world points list and four captain’s picks.
“I think that is completely at the captain’s discretion and the way he wants to go with the team,” Clarke told Gulf News in an exclusive interview in Abu Dhabi, where he took part in this month’s Gary Player Invitational at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. “Knowing Thomas the way I do and the amount of research and stats he’s gone in looking at it, he would only have requested that if he thought it would have been beneficial. So from my point of view, the captain is there to get the results that we all as Europeans want, so he should be given whatever he wants to have.”
“Would it have made a difference to us?” Clarke added. “I didn’t even think about it, I didn’t look at it, as it wasn’t part of my criteria. I had three picks and that was it. You could say: ‘Well, what would have happened if I’d had two picks? What would have happened if I’d one pick?’”.
Clarke believes Europe have a great chance of avenging last year’s loss due to Bjorn’s “very thorough and professional” approach, and the fact that his players are well acquainted with the Paris course given that it’s hosted a European Tour event “for many years”.