The European Ryder Cup team won’t be finalized for another day, but the squad certainly was fortified on Sunday.
Paul Lawrie coasted to a four-shot victory over Brett Rumford at the European Tour’s Johnnie Walker Championship, which should give the European side plenty of confidence heading into next month’s Ryder Cup.
Consider the Euros’ good form of late. Sergio Garcia, another European Ryder Cup team member, won earlier this week at the Wyndham Championship, and the Spaniard has a two-shot lead at The Barclays heading into the final round. Two weeks ago, newly minted world No. 1 Rory McIlroy captured the PGA Championship by a tournament-record eight strokes.
The 43-year-old Lawrie shot a 16-under 272 on the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles – host of the 2014 Ryder Cup – to earn his eighth career European Tour victory, third in his native Scotland, and second of the season.
“I feel calmer in Scotland for some reason,” Lawrie said, “and I play some of my best golf, too.”
The Scot hasn’t played in the Ryder Cup since 1999 – the year he won the British Open at Carnoustie.
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Lavner is a staff writer for GolfChannel.com and is in charge of GolfTalkCentral.
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