Torrance & Smyth Getting The Keys To Team Europe's Club Cars

James Corrigan reports that European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley will be handing the keys of two carts to Sam Torrance and Des Smyth on Thursday, still leaving Monty with hopes of an assistant captaincy in spite of his deplorable driving record.
 
Torrance and Smith seem like the perfect counter-offensive to Tom Watson's selection of Ray Floyd and Andy North, as the two captains vie to see how many assistants they can stockpile who today's players cannot relate to in any fashion whatsoever.

Neither appointment will be a surprise. Smyth has long been a mentor to McGinley. “Des chaperoned me for the first five years on Tour,” McGinley said. The 61-year-old played in two Ryder Cups and was Ian Woosnam’s assistant at the 2006 Ryder Cup in Ireland. McGinley is extremely close to his countryman; as he is to Torrance.

With September’s match taking place at Gleneagles, Torrance obviously ticks the home box, particularly as it is by no means certain that the host country will be represented in the playing ranks. Torrance was McGinley’s first captain, in 2002 at the Belfry, and his brave tactics in stacking the top order of the singles with his best players made a huge impression on the Irishman.