Torrance wants Woosnam as captain

Sam Torrance believes that Ian Woosnam is the man to succeed him as Europe's Ryder Cup captain for the 2004 contest at Oakland Hills in Michigan.

Woosnam has stated he would like to wait until the match is staged in Wales for the first time, at Celtic Manor in 2010, before taking on the position. But Torrance believes that would be too late for his vice-captain at The Belfry, for the same reasons that he declined to captain the team again in two years.

"I honestly believe I wouldn't be the right man for the job and that's the most important factor," said Torrance, who himself went from vice-captain under Mark James in 1999 to victorious captain in 2002.

"I'd have been two years on the senior tour, I would have some rapport with some of the team but not the whole lot of them, not watching them week in, week out. I couldn't create the same atmosphere. It's someone that has to be still playing on the tour.

"[Bernhard] Langer and Woosie are both playing well enough to make the next team, they have to decide. Woosie definitely deserves the captaincy and so does Langer.

"But I wouldn't like to see Woosie wait until Wales. He'd be 52 then, he'd be in the same situation as I would be in in the next one, and I think he should be the next captain. He was a fantastic vice-captain. He was great with the players, but he is tenacious and he will want to play again so it will be a tough decision for him.

"He told me on the Sunday night he wanted to wait until Wales and I didn't think it was right. I can't see him being on the main tour then and he would lose the rapport with the players."

Langer had emerged as the favourite after Nick Faldo pulled out of the running last week. But Torrance believes there is nothing to stop the 45-year-old from qualifying to play in the next team and so equal Faldo's record of 11 appearances.

"Langer is certainly fit enough, and he's certainly good enough, and I'm almost certain he wants that record," added Torrance before his first competitive outing since the Belfry at the Lancôme Trophy in Paris.

"There is no rush to name the captain if Woosie and Langer want to try and qualify for the team: the qualifying period does not start until September. They could delay the decision if both Woosie and Langer ask for it."

The selection process for the next few European captains is threatening to become a complicated affair with so many credible candidates.

If Woosnam were to become captain in 2004, that would mean Langer's next opportunity would be in 2006, but the matches will be staged in Ireland and the pressure will mount for an Irish captain – Des Smyth being the front-runner – at the K Club.

The names of Faldo and Colin Montgomerie also come into the equation, and by 2008 Langer would be 51 and presumably not playing on the main tour, a major criteria as far as Torrance is concerned.

Four of the victorious Ryder Cup team are competing at St-Nom-la-Bretêche – Sergio Garcia, Montgomerie, Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjorn – with the Spaniard defending the title he won 12 months ago.