Crans-Sur-Sierre marks the beginning of a 12-month qualification process that will determine the European team for the 2001 Ryder Cup at the Belfry. This week's European Masters at the picturesque Swiss course has unfortunately been relegated to a minor milestone, superseded by a litany of spats.
Those who blanched at the acrimony that attended the Americans Ryder Cup victory in the "Battle of Brookline" in 1999 could hardly have envisaged that the verbal sledging would provide merely an opening gambit to 10 months of controversy.
Where once the ire of the Europeans was directed at their American counterparts, manifest in Sam Torrance's "man of god" jibe at Tom Lehman following the United States' flawed success, it quickly found a new focal point. The Mark James-Nick Faldo controversy, in the wake of the publication of the former's book, Into the Bear Pit, compounded a growing disenchantment within European golf.
Torrance's appointment as captain for the Ryder Cup match at the Belfry in 2001 was followed by the Scot's decision to promote his good friend James to his advisory team, reversing the roles of the 1999 match at Brookline. Jean Van de Velde and Jarmo Sandelin, publicly critical of James' team selection at Brookline, articulated the unease of several continental Europeans.
The Faldo saga provoked a further split in the European tour, players been inveigled to support or denounce James' actions in the media. Despite a vindication of sorts by the players committee prior to the tournament at Loch Lomond, James was eventually prevailed upon to resign after Faldo refused to be bullied into submission.
It appeared to offer a cap to a turbulent eight months. However, just as one controversy died another surfaced. Sweden's Jesper Parnevik resigned his membership of the European tour acknowledging that he would be unable to fulfil the minimum number of tournaments required to keep his tour card. He was also miffed at missing out on the recent NEC Invitational at Firestone.
A policy change by the European tour meant that the Swede, ranked 15th in the world rankings, Sergio Garcia (10th) and Jean Van de Velde missed out on an event that is part of the World Golf Championships. In a tournament designed to feature the most recent Ryder Cup and President Cup teams, the European tour decided that the top 12 players in the Order of Merit in non-Ryder Cup years, prior to the PGA Championship, would qualify instead.
Indeed the lure of the US tour has thrust another stumbling block into the path of European Ryder Cup preparations for the Belfry next year. Jose Maria Olazabal, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Thomas Bjorn, Van de Velde, Parnevik, Garcia and possibly Philip Price have indicated that America will dominate their golfing focus. Faldo is already based there.
Colin Montgomerie immediately suggested that the Ryder Cup selection process should be overhauled, either by guaranteeing Torrance six wild card choices in the 12-man team - there are only two available traditionally - or to base the selection on the world rankings. He insisted that Europe's chances would be impaired if the present system remained.
His reaction spurred Torrance to rebut the call for change. In a prepared statement, the Scot denied that the current process required change. It carried more than a whiff of an official European tour stance. Ireland's Padraig Harrington was adamant that while he was once sceptical, he had been swayed by Torrance's arguments and fully supported the policy of retaining the selection system.
Torrance's vehement endorsement of the Ryder Cup committee's formula removes any possibility of a volte face. He will be hoping that the mountain air of Switzerland will have a cleansing and cathartic effect on a troubled tour and the preoccupation will concern on course exploits over the 12-month qualification period that culminates at the BMW International Open next year.
In fairness the Scot correctly contended that the "better players" would be provided with an advantage in that the four majors and the three World Golf Championships would count towards the final Ryder Cup points tally. So what will be required to make the European team? In 1999 Harrington's wonderful performance in Munich - he finished second to Colin Montgomerie - allowed him snatch the final automatic selection from Sweden's Robert Karlsson.
The Irishman required £384,565 - 5,383 points (1 point for every 100 euros won, 1.4 euros to £1) - so with increased prize money and the addition of the World Golf Championships events and the US Masters (first counted in 2000) to the list of events that are eligible in counting towards the European Order of Merit, next year's cut-off point may be closer to £500,000.
In speculating on the composition of the side, one would hope that the Irish triumvirate of Darren Clarke, Harrington and Paul McGinley will not have to rely on Torrance's largesse. The Scot will be hoping that both Clarke and Harrington qualify automatically, along with Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie.
It can reasonably be expected that Bjorn, Olazabal, Jimenez, Price and Garcia will enjoy frequent visits home, hoping to secure places quickly and thereby cut down on the travel. Parnevik, the top points scorer, may require one of the wild cards. Torrance named Ian Woosnam as his assistant but would release the Welshman for playing duties should he make it.
Bernhard Langer was disappointed to miss out in 1999 and his form this season suggests that he will be a strong contender as will Scotland's Andrew Coltart and Gary Orr, Swedes Robert Karlsson, Jarmo Sandelin, Per Ulrik Johansson and Patrick Sjoland and Germans Sven Struver and Alex Cejka. And what of Faldo? Sustaining the impetus of recent improvement will be his primary concern.
Switzerland marks the starting point for the European Ryder Cup qualification roller-coaster. While the final counting event, the 2001 BMW International Open, is within touching distance in Munich, the trials and tribulations of the Ryder race will embrace the four corners of the globe. It will be interesting to see how the prodigal sons fare.
