Howell believes Faldo is the key to glory (From This Is Wiltshire)

Howell believes Faldo is the key to glory

1:34pm Friday 19th September 2008

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Golf: While Europe and America's Ryder Cup stars will battle it out across the Valhalla fairways and greens this weekend, Swindon golfer David Howell believes the fate of this year's competition will be determined off the course.

The Ryder Cup starts with foursomes this morning and much of the week's attention has been focused on the line-ups of the respective captain's Nick Faldo and Paul Azinger.

Broome Manor man Howell starred in 2004 and 2006 as Europe cruised to victories, and admits the skipper's role is vital to the success of either team.

Talking about playing under the leadership of Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam, Howell said: "They had very different approaches and obviously Nick will be different again. And it does make a difference.

"In every team meeting there's not just a captain, but 13 of you in there and the characters in the team are important as well.

"The most important thing the captain does is that he's got the decisions to make.

"What the great captains have done over the years is they've got the decisions right.

"It doesn't matter how they make them, how they go about coming to those conclusions, you've got to get the pairings right, and that's the important thing.

"I think the balance of power has switched a little bit maybe. With Monty (Colin Montgomerie) not being there and a few of the younger guys making the team, guys like Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson can be big players in more ways than one."

And having been victorious on both occasions, 33-year-old Howell admits it is a special feeling to be a "little part of history."

"When you're involved in a match your mind is definitely on the job in hand and there's no room for any other thoughts coming into your head," he said on Sky Sports' Countdown to the Ryder Cup.

"But when you're in the qualifying process and you make the team you certainly sit there and think that you are going to become a very small part of history.

"Getting my first Ryder Cup point was a nice moment for myself and Paul Casey, and I sat on that green thinking crazy, I've just won a point in the Ryder Cup'.''

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