Tom Lehman yesterday handed Ryder Cup wild cards to Scott Verplank and Stewart Cink - and then added that he will "go crazy" if anybody questions how much Tiger Woods wants to be part of his team next month, writes Mark Garrod. Woods has won only seven of his 20 games since appearing for the first time at Valderrama nine years ago and said on the eve of the 2002 match that he wanted world championship success for himself more than he wanted a Ryder Cup victory at The Belfry. Because of a commitment with his Foundation, the Open and US PGA champion is not expected to join the rest of the side when they go to the K Club for early practice next week. But Lehman, breaking off from talking about his 11th and 12th men, said this of his No 1: "If I ever hear somebody question Tiger Woods' desire to be a part of this team again I'm going to go crazy. "Tiger Woods cannot wait to play in this Ryder Cup, He is looking to playing every bit as much as looking forward to playing in the PGA Championship, the Open, the Masters and the US Open. "And if he didn't have this commitment with his charity he would be in Ireland with us next Monday and Tuesday. And that's a fact." With that off his chest, Lehman returned to his wild-card choices. The most notable omission was Davis Love, who has been on every team since the `War on the Shore' at Kiawah Island in 1991. Love is without a top 10 finish since February, but many would still have expected him to be given a wild card. Cink looked a certainty for one pick after three top five finishes in his last six events. He finished 12th in the table and number 11 John Rollins was never likely because most of his points came from winning in America the week of the Open. But instead of Love, who wound up 15th on the points table, Lehman went for 20th-placed Scott Verplank despite the fact that he has not won a tournament for five years. The 42-year-old was the first uncapped American ever to be chosen for the match four years ago and won two of his three games at The Belfry. He also had eight successive rounds in the 60s prior to the US PGA, where he missed the cut and spent an anxious weekend hoping he might be called. "I slept with the cell phone under the pillow," he said, "and last night I didn't sleep very well at all." Lehman, who gave serious consideration to Love, 26-year-old Lucas Glover, Steve Stricker and his assistant captain Corey Pavin, said: "One of the things I think our team needs is somebody who can really putt and really can chip, who can drive the ball, put it in the fairway, who is a tough, tough, tough competitor who will never quit, never give up. For those reasons I picked Scott Verplank." There are five changes from the team thrashed two years ago. Out go Love, Chris Riley, Kenny Perry, Fred Funk and Jay Haas and in come Verplank and uncapped quartet Vaughn Taylor, JJ Henry, Zach Johnson and Brett Wetterich. The last four of those are respectively ranked 57th, 74th, 37th and 61st in the world and have limited experience. | 
Golfing Destinations
