Ryder Cup not US Open is the focus for Lawrie

Thursday 3 May 2012

Paul Lawrie fully understands a decision not to contest next month's US Open will draw debate, but says his motive is cementing his place in Europe's Ryder Cup team.

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Bernie McGuire

While assured of automatic exemption into the June 14 Major at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Lawrie has reworked his schedule to have that week off from competition in order to focus on the final 10 weeks of Ryder Cup qualifying.

Lawrie, fifth on the points table, has contested just four US Open Championships but, given the unique set-up of the courses, he has only made the cut once in 2002. "My record in the US Open is not good. I understand that it is a Major but I feel I have more chance of playing well at the BMW International Open the week after the US Open. I know people are going to be surprised when they learn this but I stand more chance of earning Ryder Cup points at the BMW. I don't want to miss a US Open and it's not just the event but also a bit of a scheduling issue as well as the type of courses they play the US Open on, as my record shows."Lawrie had been mulling over the decision for some time and instead that week will host a two-day Paul Lawrie Foundation out at Loch Lomond and then on the Friday of US Open he will host a meningitis charity fund-raiser in Aberdeen."It's a big call and a lot of people are going to say I should be playing, but you have to do what you feel is best. My goal right now is to make the Ryder Cup team."Lawrie's more immediate concern in Seville, however, was finding his luggage after it was lost in transit from South Korea where he played in last week's Ballantine's Championship.He was unshaven in contesting yesterday's Pro-Am and was wearing a navy blue Real Club de Golf de Sevilla pullover he had to purchase from the Pro Shop."I had three flights to get here and my luggage just didn't make the connections so it's off to Corte Ingles this afternoon to buy some pants, socks and so on," he said.Lawrie plays his opening two rounds of the €2m event in the company of Jose-Maria Olazabal, Europe's Ryder Cup captain."You always learn something playing alongside Jose-Maria as he is one of the short-game masters," he said. "I've played with him many times before so I am looking forward to the next two days as it's always good fun."Lawrie's fellow Aberdonian Richie Ramsay has different aims for this year's US Open and is targeting competing in California for a first time in his career. Ramsay is assured of contesting a first US PGA this year but is also targeting a place in San Francisco next month. He moved to a career high of 89th in the world following his second-place finish last week in Korea and if he can get himself inside the top-60 by May 27 and the close of the BMW PGA Championship he will also play a first US Open."I would love to play the PGA Championship and that will help massively with attracting new sponsors," said Ramsay. "But if I can qualify for the US Open as well, that would be superb and maybe if I do qualify, either being in the top-60 or the Walton Heath qualifier, then I could be in three of the four majors this year."I'm starting to come into form as we saw last week in South Korea, so I've this week and the BMW PGA where there are huge world ranking points."

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Ryder Cup not US Open is the focus for Lawrie

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