Ryder cup 2016: Lee Westwood is inspired by talk that he was only picked because captain Darren Clarke is a close friend
Westwood eager to continue good Ryder Cup record to prove his worth to critics
LEE WESTWOOD was inspired to earn his Ryder Cup wildcard to answer all the chat about him getting a pick because he is skipper Darren Clarke’s close pal.
And the English ace said the same bloody-minded approach will serve him well when he makes his tenth appearance for Europe against the USA at the end of this month.
Westy, 43, and captain Clarke formed a superb Ryder Cup partnership, winning six of their eight matches together.
And he proved his worth in the team with a second place at the Masters and several other top performances.
Westwood said: “Any time anybody writes you off, it’s good motivation.
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“You can either take it and be miserable or stick it back down their throat, which is the attitude you need at the Ryder Cup.
“I was determined to show some form and get on that team.
“I wasn’t ready to write my game off just yet. I knew I was still capable of good golf.
“Darren rightly told me there were no guarantees. He wanted me to play my way on the team and not make any decisions difficult for him.
“I didn’t quite make the automatic spots but I gave him plenty of reasons to pick me.”
Clarke said his hardest decision was leaving out world No 20 Russell Knox. He added: “Russell has been in tremendous form but I just felt Thomas Pieters had shown a bit more.”