Nicolas Colsaerts: "Ryder Cup isn't worrying"

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It was from Dubai where he resides that Nicolas Colsaerts, winner as a player of the 2012 Ryder Cup in Medinah (Illinois) and one of the three assistants (with Thomas Björn and Edoardo Molinari) of captain Luke Donald, took the time on the phone to answer our questions. The WGC-Match Play in Austin, certain executives with absent subscribers, the possible return of former great Ryder Cup players from LIV Golf, the lessons learned at the Hero Cup in January in Abu Dhabi or the presence of a Frenchman in the team in Rome… So many subjects that the Brussels man tackled without the slightest filter.

Nicolas Colsaerts, statements

"I understand that everyone scrutinizes this World Championship in detail thinking that the majority of the players of the European team (of the Ryder Cup) did not achieve the expected results. Obviously, this is a significant indicator but we are still more than five months away from this Ryder Cup in Rome. So there is no fire at the lake. There are also some players who, although they may have missed out this week, have had a more than satisfactory start to the season. In short, I do not think that this Match Play event should be considered as being really significant of the state of form of the players. We especially want to have twelve players ready when they start on Friday morning in Italy… No, it's not worrying. There are also two or three big guys at home (Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris…) who missed out. Admittedly, there are the “usual suspects” like Scheffler or Schauffele who were there. Sam Burns also had a great tournament... It could very well have been the other way around and I think everyone would have cried general panic in the United States. As we have seen over the years, Europe has always had this outsider status, and we have only lost three times in the last ten Ryder Cups played... The very essence of the Ryder Cup is is to arrive on D-Day with a fit and united group. And not before. Being in the “Team Room” with Rahm, McIlroy, Fleetwood, our big spearheads… It motivates the troops to wear the same equipment as them. That's why I'm not worried.

"Despite the fact that there were not our “big” players present. There was a nice and positive “movement”. Whether on the Anglo-Saxon side or on the continental side. We saw in certain individuals this undeniable quality of emulation, of group spirit... It was quite strong. When I was named vice-captain the week of the Race final last November, I attended a pre-tournament “foodie” where there were McIlroy, Rahm, Hovland, Fitzpatrick, Fleetwood, Lowry, all our best players and I was struck by the good atmosphere between them. Which was not necessarily the case with the old ones like Westwood, Poulter, Harrington… With this new generation of players, we feel that there is friendship between them".

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/7PZ0Imy

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