Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo received nothing but good news today as he boarded the plane for Louisville ahead of the eagerly-anticipated clash with the United States at Valhalla.

Four of Faldo’s team were in action in the Mercedes-Benz Championship over the weekend and as well as Robert Karlsson claiming his first victory for two years, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Soren Hansen and Graeme McDowell finished third, eighth and 16th respectively.

Jimenez closed with rounds of 68 and 66 on the weekend while Denmark’s Hansen looks in good shape for Friday’s fourballs after carding 20 birdies and three eagles in defence of his title.

Fellow rookie McDowell was solid if not spectacular but it was Karlsson’s victory after a three-week lay-off which will have given Faldo the most cause for optimism.

Karlsson carded a closing 71 at Gut Larchenhof for a total of 13 under par and two-shot victory over Italy’s Francesco Molinari, who staged a late challenge with four birdies in a row from the 12th.

“Hopefully Nick will be delighted,” said Karlsson after an eighth European Tour title lifted him to second on the Order of Merit.
“It was a pretty good result for all of us.”

Karlsson had not won since the Deutsche Bank Championship, also in Germany, in 2006, but qualified for his second Ryder Cup on the back of nine top-10 finishes this season - including eighth in the US Masters, fourth in the US Open and seventh in the Open.

Combination

“It’s very nice to win, a great relief and it would have felt a bit strange not to win this season because I’ve been playing so well,” he added.

Jimenez’s final round of 66 was the best of the day and the 44-year-old said: “I’m playing very solid, especially yesterday and today I holed some more putts and it’s a nice combination.

“I feel good and feel like I can make a score and that’s a very good feeling. I wouldn’t mind playing as much as I can next week.”

It remains to be seen how often the rookies like Hansen and McDowell feature at Valhalla, but Hansen looks a good bet for fourball duty.

“Twenty birdies but 20 bogeys was it?” he joked. “It was either really fun or a disaster. I’ve never played a tournament where I have made so many birdies and threw in a few eagles as well.

“I played very good but made a lot of clumsy mistakes to be honest. If I can eliminate those I am right there. Birdies in match play are fantastic so if I can keep this going it will be good fun.

“I am relaxed as I can be, it’s obviously going to be very exciting. It’s like a dream come true. As a kid you’re on the putting green as the sun is going down holing putts to win the Ryder Cup and all of a sudden you are actually there so it’s very exciting.”

McDowell, expected to partner double Open champion Padraig Harrington at some stage next week, added: “It’s been hard the last few weeks to think about anything else but next week.

“It’s been in the forefront of my mind but I feel as though I am taking my game out there pretty much intact so there is nothing really to worry about.

“It’s going to be an exciting few days and there is going to be a lot going on. All I am looking forward to right now is seeing my golf bag with my name on it. I’ve always dreamed of representing Europe in the Ryder Cup and here we go.

“I think it is going to be a pretty even match-up and we have the firepower to give them a good run and maybe bring the trophy home again.”

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