Chris Wood believes it is a “shame” that the emotional pull of playing in the event named after the late Seve Ballesteros appears to be waning, less than two and a half years since he died.
Five-time major winner Ballesteros died in May 2011 and featured heavily during last year’s Ryder Cup at Medinah, with the European team wearing the Spaniard’s navy blue and white colours and silhouette on their uniforms in Chicago.
However, many of those same players have opted not to play in this week’s Seve Trophy in France, with Sergio Garcia and Great Britain and Ireland’s top six qualifiers all turning down the chance to play in the biennial event.
Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell who got married at the weekend Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter have opted not to compete in Versailles as Sam Torrance’s side attempt to claim a seventh win in succession against a European team captained by Jose Maria Olazabal.
Only three players responsible for the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ Nicolas Colsaerts, Paul Lawrie and Francesco Molinari will compete after Peter Hanson was forced out through injury, with Wood echoing Lawrie’s disappointment at the situation.
“It is a strong GB&I team, we are all solid players, but it is disappointing,” Wood said. “It could obviously be a lot stronger and it would make the tournament probably a little bit more appealing.
“It’s up to them but I thought it was a bit of a shame the guys who are now living in America didn’t want to come over. Two years ago it was all about Seve and it doesn’t quite seem to be the same now.
“My respect for the bloke…like Paul Lawrie said, he would have walked to Paris and I’m completely in agreement with him.”