European Ryder Cup qualifying: Harrington reduces wildcards to three

The European Tour have confirmed the qualification process for the next Ryder Cup team – and it comes with one significant change

–The 43rd edition of The Ryder Cup will be held from the 25-27 September on the Straits Course at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin in 2020.–

The European Tour Committee have announced that the qualification period for the European 2020 Ryder Cup team will start at the 2019 BMW PGA Championship (19-22nd September), and will finish at the same event in 2020. 

But in addition to the qualification period, Captain Padraig Harrington got his wish with one significant change to the Wild Card processes, reducing the number of picks from four to three. 

The Wild Card picks were increased to four by Thomas Bjorn for Europe’s triumphant win at Le Golf National in 2018, but Harrington believes the team is better formed when more players have automatically qualified. The United States increased their own number to four picks in 2016. 

Now, the 12-man European Tour will be comprised of;
– The first four players from the European Points List
– The leading five players from the World Points list
– Three Wild Card picks, revealed the week after the 2020 BMW PGA Championship.

Harrington said: “I have said on many occasions that one of the reasons for recent European success in The Ryder Cup is continuity. It is a theme that will be prevalent across my captaincy and I think you can see that in the overall qualification process for the 2020 team.

“Having said that, I am pleased that the Tournament Committee agreed to the change of Wild Card numbers. I have spoken to a number of people regarding the ninth player automatically qualifying for the team and in my experience, a player is more comfortable when he has qualified, hence my reasoning behind this change.

“I am also delighted to be starting and ending the process at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. It is one of our most prestigious events, played at an iconic venue and the home of the European Tour itself, and will help give a real narrative to the qualification race.”

Last year, Bjorn opted for experience with his four Wild Card picks, choosing Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson and Ian Poulter. Combined, they contributed 9 out of Europe’s 17.5 points: Stenson won all three of his matches while Garcia won 3/4 to become Europe’s highest ever points scorer. 

How the points system will work

Available Race to Dubai points and World Ranking points will be multiplied by 1.5 towards the end of the qualification period, the tournament where this starts to be confirmed when the European Tour issues its 2020 schedule later this year.

Also similar to last year, qualification points in both 2019 and 2020 will not be available anywhere in the world from a tournament played opposite a Rolex Series event, further enhancing the status of the premier series of events on the European Tour.

Guy Kinnings, European Ryder Cup Director, said: “It is fitting that we start and end Team Europe’s 2020 Ryder Cup qualification journey at the prestigious BMW PGA Championship, which as well as being one of our core Rolex Series events, celebrates its 65th anniversary edition in September this year.

“As Official Partners, both BMW and Rolex have played a very significant role in the global success and growth of The Ryder Cup, and we all look forward to watching Europe’s best golfers in the world battle it out for their place in the 2020 team.”