Influential European Tour figures Sam Torrance and Jamie Spence have backed the decision to turn over the selection process for the European Ryder Cup captain to former skippers.
The captain for 2016 at Hazeltine will be chosen by a five-man panel featuring the three immediate past captains, Paul McGinley, Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie. The selection had been made for the last eight editions of the famous matches against the USA over 15 years by the European Tour’s 15-strong Tournament Players Committee (TPC).
Torrance, Europe’s captain at the Belfry in 2002, endorsed the move after shooting 70 to lie two off the lead after the first round of the SSE Scottish Seniors Open at Fairmont St Andrews while Spence, the tour’s player liaison officer, shares the lead after a 68 on the Torrance Championship Course.
Sam said that his own proposal had gone further in giving responsibility to ex-captains from the committee, whose members endured an uncomfortable five months of frenzied speculation before McGinley was confirmed as captain for Gleneagles.
“I suggested that we have a six-man panel the last five Ryder Cup captains and the next one, then one drops off,” he said.
“It wasn’t great what went on last time, although we’ve got it right almost every time so far in choosing captains. This should be a decision mostly made by former captains, I think.”
The new panel will be filled out with the European Tour’s chief executive currently George O’Grady and a nominee from the TPC that previously held responsibility for the choice.
Spence, a former tour player and TPC chairman himself now charged with liaising between tour members and officials, agreed, saying: “I think it is becoming contentious because it has become bigger and bigger.
“We have picked the right captain every time but it’s not fair on the tournament committee who are out there playing golf to be harangued about this, especially (current TPC chairman) Thomas Bjorn.
“This should take it out of their hands, and three captains and the chief executive is the best way.
“It can become personal and it is a shame. By hook or by crook we have managed to name the right captains, but then again Sandy (Lyle) has been incredibly unlucky not to be a Ryder Cup captain in his time.
“When he was the age to be captain he wasn’t really around the boys, and it might have been that someone from that era had to miss out. In the near future someone else is going to miss out too.”
Out on the course Spence, in only his fifth event in the Seniors, shot a superb 68 to stand at the top of the leaderboard as the field scored well in beautiful weather on a course in the best-ever condition for hosting the event for the fifth consecutive year.
“I made three easy birdies on the par fives, tap-ins on all of them for birdies,” said Spence, who was tied 14th at the Senior Open at Royal Birkdale last month.
“The last and number 12 were easily reachable today, but obviously there were some more difficult holes too. The 17th is difficult, that wall down the right is very reminiscent of the 14th on the Old Course.”
Torrance was pleased with his 70, after making a key swing change over the phone with his father Bob, the venerable swing guru.
“He’s amazing,” said Sam. “I’ve been struggling for a while and hitting a lot of iron shots thin. Just when I said the divots are starting two inches ahead of the ball he knew it was my left foot being flat. I’ve just got lazy over the years with my left heel. Today was the first time I’ve used it and it was so much better.”
Spence shared the first round lead with Austria-based Scot Gordon Manson, Irishman Denis Sullivan and Spain’s Miguel Angel Martin. Among those on three-under was Ireland’s Eamonn Darcy, with Torrance tied with fellow Scot Bill Longmuir, who eagled the final hole to get to two-under.
With bad weather forecast for Saturday, the second round will have a two-tee start between 7am and 9am in an attempt to get play completed without disruption.