Thomas Bjorn says his friendship with Ian Woosnam is "completely dead" after the Ryder Cup captain left the Danish golfer off the European team.
Woosnam selected Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood on Sunday as his captain's picks for Europe's defense of the cup Sept. 22-24 at The K Club in Ireland. The other 10 players qualified automatically.
The assistant captain to Bernhard Langer at the 2004 Ryder Cup, Bjorn had a higher Ryder Cup and world ranking than Westwood. Woosnam said he picked Westwood because the Englishman had won twice at the Irish club.
PHOTO: AFP
"I think he [Woosnam] has been very poor," Bjorn told Britain's Press Association. "A friend of mine he isn't, and I don't have a problem saying that. He's not taken charge of the captaincy in the way I see a captain should take charge and it's disappointing."
Bjorn, who has played twice against the Americans in the Ryder Cup, suggested that being left out had to do with "something personal."
"He never called me," Bjorn said of Woosnam. "He came into the bar at the hotel and gave me 20 seconds about Lee having won twice at the K Club. In a bar. That kind of sums it up."
"He can't walk up to me, tell me in 20 seconds and expect me to be happy. I'm very disappointed. I think he's been very poor in the way he's handled the players," he said.
Westwood has 11.5 points in 20 Ryder Cup matches, and took 4.5 of a possible five points in Europe's victory at Oakland Hills two years ago. Bjorn has won 3.5 points in six matches.
Bjorn said there was nothing personal against Westwood.
"The first person I called when I heard was Lee to congratulate him," Bjorn said. "I'm happy for him because I know how much it means to him. He will put in a great performance because he always does."
Bjorn called his relationship with Woosnam "completely dead."
"There are so many players who have told me that they thought I should get the pick," Bjorn said. "I'm in front of Lee in all the rankings. I have played better than him in the qualifying phase, and then Woosnam bases his decision on results which are more than five years old. I'm shocked."
Woosnam said he notified Clarke beforehand that he would be picked. But when he announced Westwood after the final round of the BMW International in Munich, he acknowledged it was a last minute decision. Woosnam called Westwood to notify him after telling reporters of his choice.
"Thomas was in the back of my mind," Woosnam told BBC radio. "It was difficult when I got back to the hotel -- he was very disappointed. But the reason I went for Lee was because of his record in Ryder Cup."
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