• Ryder Cup

McGinley disappointed by Harrington's commitment

Padraig Harrington only played three events on the European Tour this year © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Harrington eager to peak at Celtic Manor
  
• News: Poulter feels Casey's and Rose's pain
  
• News: Tearful Casey wishes Ryder Cup team well
  
• News: E. Molinari handed Ryder Cup wildcard, Casey left out
  
• Profile: Paul Casey | Luke Donald | Padraig Harrington | Justin Rose

European Ryder Cup vice-captain Paul McGinley has admitted he is disappointed with Padraig Harrington's lack of commitment to the European Tour.

Harrington, Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari were forced to rely on captain Colin Montgomerie's wildcard picks to find themselves in the Ryder Cup team for the event at Celtic Manor next month after failing to qualify.

And while Molinari's win at the Johnnie Walker Championship sealed his place in Montgomerie's mind, it was the three-time major winner's experience that secured his place in the team.

Harrington has had five top-ten finishes this season, but has not won an event since winning the US PGA in 2008. He failed to make the cut at three of this year's majors, and McGinley feels Harrington could have showed more commitment to the European Tour events.

"I was disappointed in Padraig," McGinley said in The Guardian. "He was €1,200 away from the team after the PGA and he didn't play the last two qualifying events. Padraig only played three events in Europe this year - the Irish Open, Wentworth and the Open. So he didn't show a lot of commitment.

"Padraig is not the kind of guy you can tell what to do. He makes up his own mind. We've had arguments about it in the past and we'll have arguments about it again. But he is his own man."

Paul Casey and Justin Rose were the men to miss out at Harrington's expense, and while Casey's second-place finish at the BMW Championship this weekend may have raised some eyebrows, McGinley is adamant that Rose and Casey only have themselves to blame.

"We knew that, whoever we picked, there was going to be criticism," he said. "Ideally, we would have loved to have had Justin Rose and Paul Casey in the team. Who wouldn't? But the bottom line is that they had put themselves in a precarious position by not qualifying.

"Unfortunately, they missed out - and that's also down to the wonderful golf Edoardo Molinari played. Luke Donald has also played well and we've gone with Padraig Harrington who has won three majors."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.