Andrew Coltart
Golf Expert & Columnist
Ryder Cup: Andrew Coltart backs Ian Poulter to captain Europe
Europe's 'Postman' can deliver the goods, says Sky Sports expert
Last Updated: 03/10/16 7:02pm
Andrew Coltart believes Ian Poulter is a viable option to be Europe's next Ryder Cup captain at Le Golf National near Paris in 2018.
The 40-year-old has been a talismanic figure for the boys in blue in the biennial contest, earning the nicknames of 'Mr Ryder Cup' and the 'Postman' due to his ability to deliver points for the side.
He was forced to settle for a non-playing role at Hazeltine this year due to a foot injury, but has said himself that he wants a more central task when Europe try to regain the trophy next time out.
And Sky Sports golf expert Coltart has backed Poulter for the main role, ahead of one of the favourites, Thomas Bjorn.
"Obviously the chairman of the European Tour's players committee Thomas Bjorn is a favourite," said Coltart, who was a member of the European 1999 Ryder Cup team. "He's been vice captain on several occasions. He's well respected throughout the tour and there's a fair chance he will be.
"There's one other name that goes hand-in-hand with Ryder Cup in the modern era [and he] is Ian Poulter. A talisman of European golf for several years. He loves the heat, the fire, the passion of the Ryder Cup and even if he is still playing, I still see him as a viable option for captaincy."
Coltart reflected on a high-quality three days of action with a mind-blowing standard of golf, saying: "The quality of golf was exceptional. To go out there in the cauldron and pour putt in after putt in and hit the quality of shots into the green attacking the flag as well as the Americans did was unheralded - it was exceptional stuff."
Thomas Pieters took his first Ryder Cup swings with a stocking cap on his head on Friday morning and it didn't take him long to get settled in.
Pieters went 4-1-0 at Hazeltine, the best debut performance ever for a European. Three of those wins came when he was teamed with Rory McIlroy, giving Europe a solid foundation heading into the next Ryder Cup and possibly for years after.
"They were just beaten by a better team at the end of the day which played better golf. We've got some fantastic players. Thomas Pieters - we thought he was going to be a superstar - he's turned into a superstar. He's another good, young talent coming through," added the Scot.
"They [the Americans] love to look at this pod system and use it for quite a while because it seems to work quite well for them. People taking responsibility for each pod and run that through.
"I just look at those 12 guys and the ability to hit those shots under incredible pressure was just phenomenal. They now have the momentum in Ryder Cup and they will hope to continue that through."
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