Miguel Angel Martin, who was ousted from a Ryder Cup qualifying position because of injury, will decide today whether he is to make a comeback in the One2-One British Masters, starting at the Forest of Arden on Thursday. The 35-year-old Spaniard was anxious to make a point regarding his fitness by returning to the game a little more than a week before the Ryder Cup. Early last month Martin underwent surgery on ruptured wrist ligaments.
"I've been hitting shots, but I am with my physio now and I don't know yet whether I will be playing," he said from his Madrid home yesterday. "I have to decide tomorrow (Tuesday) because that is when I am supposed to be travelling."
As to his threatened legal action against the European Ryder Cup committee, he added: "I am talking to my lawyers and they tell me I should say nothing about anything. Everything is involved."
Martin has not played since missing the halfway cut in the British Open at Royal Troon on July 18th and was fiercely criticised by Ryder Cup skipper Seve Ballesteros when he refused to quietly relinquish his place in the team. His removal led to Jose Maria Olazabal gaining the last automatic spot, so clearing the way for Ballesteros to hand wild cards to both Nick Faldo and Jesper Parnevik.
The majority view among European Tour players is that the Ryder Cup committee acted with indecent haste in dropping Martin, and the matter is expected to be raised at the meeting of the tour's tournament committee tomorrow.
Ken Schofield, executive director of the European Tour, disclosed yesterday that legal representatives from both sides met in Madrid last Thursday. It was not the end of the matter, however, as Martin's lawyers then made a claim for compensation. This is being contested.
As far as officials are concerned, the extent of Martin's entitlement so far is expenses of £3,500, which are given to all team members. He may also have the uniform and the right to call himself a Cup player - plus an invitation to Valderrama.
Intriguingly, Martin was named yesterday in Spain's two-man team for the World Cup at Kiawah Island on November 20th to 23th, when his partner will be Ignacio Garrido. It will be recalled that 25-year-old Garrido staunchly supported his compatriot's claim to be accepted into the Ryder Cup team.
Indeed Garrido's loyalty may yet cause him grief as a member of the European side at Valderrama, given that Ballesteros was less than pleased about it. The two Spaniards, Garrido and his captain, were seen having an intense exchange of views - mainly in one direction - during the recent European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre.
Martin will be making his World Cup debut in a line-up which will be strengthened considerably by the appearance of Colin Montgomerie, as Raymond Russell's team-mate in the Scotland pair, and Ian Woosnam, as a partner for Phillip Price in the Welsh team. Montgomerie is making his first appearance in the event since 1993 at Lake Nona where the US team of Fred Couples and Davis Love gained the second of four successive victories. Couples and Love are now back together again in an attempt at winning the trophy for a fifth time.
Ireland's team of Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley was finalised after the British Open, while England will be represented by Mark James and Paul Broadhurst. Back in 1958 in Mexico City, Ireland gained the distinction of becoming the first winners of the event from these islands, through the exploits of Harry Bradshaw and Christy O'Connor.
Montgomerie, Woosnam, James and Broadhurst will all be returning to the course where they took part in the Ryder Cup in 1991 - the infamous `War on the Shore', won by America. South Africa's Ernie Els and Wayne Westner are defending the title which they captured in front of record crowds at Erinvale, Cape Town, last November, when Tom Lehman and Steve Jones took the US into second place, 18 strokes adrift of the local pair.
A total of 32 nations will be competing for £1 million prize money. The winning team share over £250,000 and there is a further £66,000 for the individual champion.
