Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano admits he was disappointed that so many big-name players missed Seve Trophy and feels it should become compulsory to play.
The Spaniard was part of the Continental Europe side that beat Great Britain and Ireland 15-13 at St-Nom-La-Breteche Golf Club last weekend.
But the tournament was weakened by the decision of a number of the world’s leading stars to skip the event and focus on the final few weeks of the European Tour season, with the Race to Dubai reaching its climax.
Players such as Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell were missing from the GB & Ireland side, while in-form Henrik Stenson and Ryder Cup ace Sergio Garcia turned down the chance to play for the Continentals in Paris.
The Presidents Cup between the USA and rest of the world was being played at the same time at Muirfield Village in Ohio, with all the top stars from the PGA Tour on view.
And Fernandez-Castano believes that the European Tour should now adopt the same philosophy as their counterparts from across the Atlantic to make sure that all those who have qualified for the team event actually make an appearance.
“The Seve Trophy is fun and it’s about team spirit and match play,” he said. “That’s why I still can’t believe the better players on the European Team were not here to support the event.
“I don’t know what we can do about it but maybe it has to be compulsory to play.”
Link Dafabet