Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/734922
22 EUROPE missed Paul Casey and Russell Knox at the Ryder Cup and the qualifying system needs to be changed to ensure the team features the best 12 players avail- able, according to former captain Tony Jacklin. U.S.-based Englishman Casey, who appeared in the biennial event in 2004, 2006 and 2008, is ranked 12th in the world but does not have European Tour member- ship and is therefore ineligible for the team. Scot Knox, who is also based in America, is 19th in the rankings and was overlooked by captain Darren Clarke for one of the three wildcard picks. "I don't think Darren had the best team," Jacklin said in an in- terview after holders Europe lost 17-11 to the United States at Ha- zeltine National on Sunday. "The likes of Casey and Knox should have been in the team. Fu- ture captains need to have the 12 best players at their disposal - we need to look at the system. "The European Tour should have rules that are conducive to being able to pick anybody born in Europe," said Jacklin who was described by ESPN last week as the man who saved the Ryder Cup when interest was waning at the start of the 1980s. "Having to be a member of the tour in the modern-day game is a bit confining." The 72-year-old Englishman be- lieves the team should comprise eight automatic selections from the world rankings and European money list, with the captain hav- ing four wildcard choices rather than the existing three. "If you've got four picks you're not keeping anyone out," said 1969 British Open and 1970 U.S. Open winner Jacklin. "You want good match players and it gives the cap- tain options. "You can't afford to waste any places in the team. The Ameri- cans had a better side this time, no doubt about it." Europe's team at Hazeltine fea- tured six rookies and two of them played exceptionally well. Big-hitting Belgian Thomas Pi- eters was the top scorer on either side with four points while Spain's Rafa Cabrera-Bello picked up two and a half points from three games. "Thomas is a potential world number one," said Jacklin. "He is a fantastic player, what an incred- ible Ryder Cup initiation. "Rafa was marvellous too. They are two wonderful examples of what a first-timer can do. What a change of life for them to know how well they settled in to the team," added Jacklin, an ambassa- dor for the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship. "It must give them enormous confidence for the future and they should take great credit for their performances." Jacklin, Europe's most success- ful captain after leading the side to two victories and one tie in four matches in charge from 1983-89, said this year's event was a fitting tribute to the great Arnold Palm- er who died five days before the competition started. "It was a spectacular Ryder Cup and the best team won," he added. "There was a barrage of birdies and in the first hour and a half of Sunday's singles the players looked as though they had the ball on a string. "It was played in completely the right spirit and that's what makes it such a unique deal. The specta- tors go over the top sometimes but when they see the players embrac- ing and congratulating each other like they did, it's the right balance. "It was fantastic to watch, sportsmanship at its best, gen- tlemanly conduct all the way through. What other sport can show that? None that I know," said Jacklin. "What a send-off for Arnold. The event was dedicated to his memory and it will go down as one of the great Ryder Cups." maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2016 Sport RUGBY GOLF Europe missed Casey and Knox at Ryder Cup, says Jacklin Paul Casey France, Ireland, South Africa the candidates to host 2023 Rugby World Cup FRANCE, Ireland and South Af- rica are the three countries in the running to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup, World Rugby (WR) said on Tuesday. Italy withdrew its application last week after failing to guaran- tee government support for stag- ing the event. "I would like to congratulate the unions for successfully progress- ing to candidate status and we welcome further dialogue with all parties as momentum builds to- wards the selection of the Rugby World Cup 2023 host," WR chair- man Bill Beaumont said in a state- ment. South Africa staged the Rugby World Cup in 1995 and France in 2007. Ireland has never hosted the tournament, which will take place in Japan in 2019, the first time it has been held in Asia. World Rugby will unveil the host nation of the 2023 World Cup in November, 2017.