Torrance feels that Sandy would be handy as European captain

THE soap opera that is the appointment of the European Ryder Cup captain for 2010 brought a further development yesterday when Jose Maria Olazabal denied that he'd been offered the role. The Spaniard confirmed that he'd had contact with Thomas Bjorn, the chairman of the European Tour's tournament committee, but that "nothing serious" had been resolved.

But if you're reading the tea leaves on this one you could only deduce that the gig is Olly's if he wants it. The other name in the frame is Sandy Lyle, who admitted to having had "a nudge" about the job himself a while back. But Lyle's eagerness for the role is questionable. He has hardly campaigned for it as his contemporaries have and he said on Friday that he wouldn't lose any sleep if it never happened. With such laid-back attitude Lyle could be easily ignored.

Sam Torrance has also entered the debate and called on the European Tour to appoint Lyle to the job.

While Torrance saluted Olazabal's ability, he said Lyle deserved the honour at Celtic Manor in two years' time.

"Jose, should he take the job, will be as good a captain as we can get," said Torrance. "I would have preferred to see him do 2014 or 2012 and Sandy do 2010. It's Sandy's time. If he doesn't get this one, he may never be captain. And now, even if Jose does say no, Sandy will know he is second choice. That isn't right, really."

Ken Brown, former European Tour board member and Ryder Cup player, also supports Lyle but, he admits, it may be to little avail. "My feeling is similar to Sam's. It is a great shame that it seems like Sandy will be the only European major champion of the last 30 years not to be captain. He could have done the job and done it well."

Olazabal may still harbour notions of playing in 2010 but those hopes are slim, it would seem. The Masters (he missed the cut) marked his third week back following the illness that kept him out of the game since last August and more and more it appears that his days of competitive golf are over. Having been out of the game for 18 months in the mid-1990s, his injury woes returned with a vengeance last year.

The pain in his lower back and right shoulder is being treated with Methotrexate and it takes a terrible toll on his energy levels. Speaking the other day he said that he had no idea when, if ever, he would return to playing the golf he is famous for.

"The pain issue is fair," he said. "I still have some problems but it's more fatigue than anything else. It's my third week and I'm starting to feel a little low in the stamina. I know I'm not in the best of condition. You start to feel tired. Whenever that happens, when you have to hit the shots, when you have to find the extra energy, it's not there. Little things.

"The concentration level might sometimes not be as good as it should. That's what happens. It's more the physical condition… It's a similar situation to the last time, in the 1990s. I went through that before and so hopefully I will recover completely. I know it's going to take a little while.

"I know the last time it took a couple of years. It's not a year yet so I'm hopeful. But, yeah, I've wondered if this is the end because I'm not physically okay. I don't feel 100%. When you're feeling ill you're feeling ill, correct?"

Olazabal said he would talk to Bjorn again in the summer. Lyle might want to make sure that he has talks of his own.