Paul McGinley: three European Ryder Cup wildcard picks

Paul McGinely has announced he will have three wildcard picks for the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

Of the following nine players, four will be taken from the European Points List and five will be taken from the World Points List.

"I've said on a number of occasions that if something ain't broke, don't fix it, and that applies to the qualification for the Ryder Cup team" said McGinely.

"You only need to look at the record books to see that we haven't done too badly of late, so I didn't see the need to make sweeping chages.

"I've kept the qualification list order the same as Olly had it for Medinah but I've increased the number of captain's picks from two to three."

McGinely said the extra felxibility would help him select the right team for the Gleneagles 'examination paper', and that all the members of the European Ryder Cup Committee were 100% behind the structural change.

The most controversial aspect of the change is that five players will come from the World Points List and only four from the European Points List.

"Like it or not, we have to acknowledge the fact most of the best Europeans are now based in America," said McGinley.

But the 46-year-old was quick to clarify that he would consider any European, and was quick to point out that form, and indeed past course form, would be extremely significant in terms of prospective selection.

On another note, McGinley annouced he wanted the 2014 contest to be "as passionate as humanly possible."

Tom Watson,the American captain, announced at the end of last year he would be reducing his number of captain's picks from four to three.