Paul Lawrie upbeat on Ryder prospects

Paul Lawrie admits that he’s got his work cut out to make Paul McGinley’s European side for this year’s Ryder Cup match but he hasn’t given up hope just yet.

The former Open champion, who played his part in the epic European comeback at Medinah in 2012, has been sidelined for much of this season with a trapped nerve in his neck. That has left him well down the pecking order for one of the nine automatic spots in the team for this year’s match at Gleneagles, leaving him in the likely position of needing a captain’s pick.

Of course, to earn one of those, he will need to show some form. To show some form, he’ll need to get back playing again. To get back playing again, he’ll need to shake this injury.

It’s a tall order but the Aberdonian is adamant that he can force his way into the side.

“It’s up to me to give Paul a headache,” said Lawrie. “I’m not even near the radar right now in terms of qualifying automatically, so it’s looking like my best bet of getting in will be a pick.

“It’s a worry I’ve been out as much as I have. I’ve been struggling since Dubai and have only managed to play four tournaments in the last six months. But there you go. If you’re injured, you’re injured. It’s part of the job and, on the whole, I’ve been pretty lucky on that front over my career.”

“I know that, realistically, I’m looking towards needing a pick to play at Gleneagles” – Paul Lawrie

The extent of Lawrie’s golf lately has been pitching and putting, but no full swings. “My index finger in my left hand is completely numb,” he added. “It’s a weird feeling and now I’ve got pins and needles in the other fingers around it.”

He is scheduled to play in the Volvo China Open in a fortnight’s time but admits that’s looking unlikely. “The Spanish Open might be my next event,” he said. “If I do play there, that means it will have been 15 weeks since I last played.”

Despite his ongoing injury problems, though, Lawrie has refused to abandon hopes of playing at Gleneagles.

“I need to get myself fit, get going, and if I can have a couple of good weeks, who’s to say I can’t knock off a big win,” he said. “The confidence is a bit difficult at the moment with having been out for so long and I know that, realistically, I’m looking towards needing a pick to play at Gleneagles. That gives me only four or five months to force my way into Paul’s thoughts, so it would be almost unbelievable to do it, but you never know.”

Can Paul Lawrie make the Ryder Cup team?

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor

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