Former skippers will decide future Ryder Cup captain
European Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley has been assured of a major say regarding his successor as skipper of the European team for the Ryder Cup against the United States in 2016 after the chiefs of the European team announced a major overhaul of the entire team selection process.
Joining McGinley in the selection process will be Spanish golfing ace Jose Maria Olazabal as well as Scottish golfer Colin Montgomerie as well as a chief executive of the European Tour of golf and a representative of the tournament committee in order to reach a decision as early as the start of 2015 after it was decided by Ryder Cup Europe that the last three skippers of the team should have a say in the selection process of the next man who will lead the team.
The European team will be led by McGinley next year when the Ryder Cup hits Gleneagles in 2014 where as Olazabal was the team skipper last year when Team Europe beat Team United States courtesy some brilliance from Martin Kaymer at Medinah and Montgomerie was the skipper of the team in Celtic Manor back in 2010.
A statement was released by the European Tour recently where it was confirmed that the 15 man tournament committee that has selected the captains of the team since 1999 will be stepping aside and allow the new panel of members to take over.
According to Richard Hills, the director of the European Ryder Cup, the decision was taken after several meetings of the tournament committee and after much reflection and it was decided this change was necessary in order to let the most suitable candidate take over from the skipper after the 2014 Ryder Cup event and their say will be taken to be the most important one in the matter.