EUROPEAN RYDER CUP captain Jose Maria Olazabal says he respects his United States counterpart Davis Love for siding with form in his four wildcard picks.
Love has chosen Dustin Johnson, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk and rookie Brandt Snedeker as his four picks, with no place for Hunter Mahan.
Mahan has been denied the opportunity to make amends for ‘losing’ the 2010 Ryder Cup after being beaten by Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell in the pivotal singles match.
Olazabal said: “They are very strong picks but then at least two of them were pretty obvious in Stricker and Jim Furyk but the other two, Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker, have been playing pretty well lately.
“So there is no question that they are very solid picks.
“All the American players from nine to 14 on the list were all very solid and Davis could have picked any four.
“The only question mark as I see it was Snedeker picked ahead of Mahan but then Davis has gone for form.
“But then Snedeker has pretty much been playing well from the start of the summer and all the way to the FedEx Series.
“However Mahan has not been playing all that well, so he went for form and in that regard he has my respect.”
Olazabal is competing in the Dutch Open, starting on Thursday – an event he captured in 1989.
He will play the opening two rounds of the 1.8m euro event in the company of European Team members Martin Kaymer and Nicolas Colsaerts.
And Olazabal laughed off suggestions it was his request the German and the Belgium accompany him.
“I had nothing to do with Nicolas and Martin playing alongside me for the first two rounds,” said Olazabal smiling.
“So I am really happy with that but then I will not be watching them all the time, as I will be focusing on my game.
“I won this event a long time ago, and very early in my career, and it would be nice to add my name to the trophy again.”
Also competing this week in Holland are three of Olazabal’s four vice-captains in Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke and Miguel Angel Jimenez.
England’s Simon Dyson is the defending champion while compatriot, David Lynn who was runner-up in the recent PGA Championship will be looking to capture only a second Tour title after winning the 2004 Dutch Open.
