Lehman likes plenty of options for Ryder Cup

2008-03-13

Share this article:  Digg |  StumbleUpon |  del.icio.us |  Reddit

By Andrew Both PA SportsTicker Golf Writer

ORLANDO, Florida (Ticker) - Tom Lehman is happy that this year''sUnited States Ryder Cup captain receives four wild cardselections, but thinks there''s an even better way to pick theteam.

"I say the best system is giving the (captain) 12 picks," Lehmansaid at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Thursday.

Lehman, speaking after a stellar 4-under-par 66 first round atBay Hill, captained the ill-fated American team at the 2006Ryder Cup in Ireland, where he oversaw a record-matchingnine-point defeat as Europe raced to a 18.5-9.5 victory over thevisitors.

Lehman only had two captain''s picks at his disposal and, let''sbe honest, it probably wouldn''t have made much difference ifhe''d had four, six or even 12. At least 2008 captain PaulAzinger has more room to maneuver in selecting players he thinksare up for the challenge, even if not on the teamautomatically.

"Sometimes it takes a good old-fashioned butt-kicking, a coupleof times in a row especially, to really realize it''s time tochange," Lehman said. "After we got beat (in 2006), it wasreally time to sit down and say, ''OK, what really do we need todo?''

"My method of any kind of change typically is to model somethingafter something that''s working and the European system isreally working. They have a great way of selecting their team."

The European captain has only two captain''s picks, and the teamis picked differently, with five players taken off a worldpoints list over the previous 12 months, and five others takenoff a European Tour money list.

Lehman, by the way, has not given up hope of making this year''steam as a player, something that any player who hits form in thenext six months can contemplate.

"The way the current system is orchestrated, a really fastfinish still makes it a possibility," he said. "I don''t thinkthere''s any reason why any player who really picks up their gamecan''t play their way onto the team the next four months."

If Lehman plays a few more rounds like he did on Thursday, it''snot inconceivable he could be on that team at Valhalla inKentucky in September.

But first things first.

"I hate to play poorly," he said. "The first five weeks of theyear was a comedy of errors. I''ve been working extremely hardon my game and saw some positive signs and good results today."