Dunhill Links champion Danny Willett would be a useful addition to Team Europe in Rome next year but he’s also keen to see the young guns come through in Rome.
Willett had one – unhappy – Ryder Cup of his own at Hazeltine in 2016, when he was Masters champion. But having rebuilt his credentials since then, including last year’s victory in this event, he feels like he can be part of Luke Donald’s team.
‘This is a big week in that journey’
Last three winners 🏆🏆🏆@RyderCupEurope 👀#CazooOpenDeFrance pic.twitter.com/MxvyaBSgm7
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 26, 2022
“There’s always a transition period,” he said. “I think America kind of went through it four to six years ago. They got beat in Paris and since then all the younger guys have stepped up and played well and come through.
“Last year was a pretty good beating, and I was watching that. And it was a tough one to kind of watch, and being a past Ryder Cup player.
“But now you see the guys coming through. Obviously Bobby Mac (Robert MacIntyre) has been playing well for the last couple years now. Guido (Migliozzi)’s good. You’ve got the Hojgaard twins.
“Hopefully they can get some good guidance from all the people within. I know Thomas (Bjorn) speaks to the twins a lot and tries to help them along the way.
“At some point we are going to have to go through a transition phase where you’re going to have to let guys kind of take the rookie role. See how they cope in preparation potentially for two, four years’ time.
“But obviously I want to go back there to Rome and help the team, and this is obviously another big week in that journey.”
‘You’re screaming at yourself’
Willett missed a big chance for a PGA Tour victory just a couple of weeks ago at the Fortinet Championship with a three putt from just four feet to hand victory to Max Homa. But the way he handled that crushing disappointment won him a lot of praise.
“I don’t know how you else would handle it,” he said. “Inside, you’re obviously screaming at yourself.
“But you can’t look at that week in a bad way. You still finished second. You still picked up a hell of lot of points. Yeah, would you have liked to have re-wound time for two minutes, but we can’t do that.
“The game is in a nice place. Slightly different weather here this week!
“Kind of just crack on, and keep doing the things that you’re doing and hopefully give yourself plenty more chances.”
‘I really wanted to say I won around here’
Can he do it again? @Danny_Willett returns to @TheHomeofGolf next month chasing back-to-back victories in the #dunhilllinks
— Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (@dunhilllinks) August 25, 2022
He treasures the win at the Dunhill, for all that a win here means.
“You know, when you get the feeling, the vibe and how golf is so loved up here and the crowds are going down the last hole,” he said. “ I really wanted to be able to say that I won around here.
“To be able to win at the Home of Golf is pretty special. And what this event it does for golf as a whole. (Dunhill chief) Johann Rupert, he’s put so much into golf for the DP World Tour, for the South African guys, for all of us.
“It’s a beautiful part of the world. Three beautiful golf course. Fingers crossed, we get lucky with the weather, most of the time.
“St Andrews, everything about it, the whole buzz around the town all week. It’s just a special place.”