Saturday 5 November 2016 14:05, UK
European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley has hinted he will consider making changes to the qualification criteria for the Ryder Cup team.
In the wake of Europe's resounding 17-11 defeat at Hazeltine, the likes of Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood have called the current process into question, insisting the team should not be restricted to European Tour members.
Captain Darren Clarke was unable to select Paul Casey for this year's contest after the Englishman was unwilling to play the required five events outside the majors and World Golf Championship tournaments to be eligible for membership.
Scotland's Russell Knox also missed out despite flying high in the world rankings, prompting McIlroy to state last week that the European team should have the best 12 players available regardless of which Tour they are members of.
McIlroy's views have been echoed by Westwood, who made his 10th Ryder Cup appearance at Hazeltine, and Pelley insisted he would take the views of the players on board as the European Tour discuss changes ahead of the 2018 renewal in France.
"We are always talking to our top players," said Pelley during the Turkish Airlines Open. "We are always listening to what they have to say. We are always adjusting and looking at our rules and regulations and evaluating whether we have the best formula to make up the Ryder Cup team.
"We also want to have the best possible team at the Ryder Cup, which is why we are having discussions regarding the qualification system now. We will continue to have them, we will have them with our players, and we will have them with our tournament committee and our board over the coming weeks and months.
"We will adjust the Ryder Cup qualification if we feel that we need to, but right now we are coming off a Ryder Cup and we are in the midst of our Final Series. Shortly after those we will have those discussions, and if we feel that we need to make the changes, we won't be afraid to make the changes.
"Part of our job at the Tour is to get players to come and play because it is a terrific place to play. We play at world-class resorts, like here in Turkey, we play on great golf courses in great cities. For any world-class player, the European Tour is a fantastic place to be.
"Our job as the gatekeepers of the Tour is to provide bigger purses, greater experiences and greater courses so that the players want to play here and play here more than they need to just to stay a member and so be a Ryder Cup player.
"The Ryder Cup is a critical component of our tour and it is a sensational event. But it shouldn't be the only reason why someone wants to be on our tour."
