Adrian Meronk may have stolen the headlines as the standout player to miss out on European Ryder Cup selection, but there was also another high performer absent.
Sweden’s Alexander Björk has enjoyed a fantastic season which has seen him finish in the top ten eight times on the DP World Tour – more than any other player.
The 33-year-old now sits seventh in the Race to Dubai rankings, which a few weeks ago helped throw his name firmly in contention for a Ryder Cup spot.
“I played with Luke in the Czech Masters, the second last tournament of qualifying, and he requested to play with me,” Björk told Worldwide Golf.
“I shot 13 under and was leading, so I thought I had quite a good chance.
“I finished second the week after just before the cut off. I thought I was 50/50 to get in.
“I got a phone call from Luke after the close of play of that tournament which unfortunately for me was a negative one. I’m guessing I was one of a few that just missed out.”
While Donald’s picks proved to be successful as Europe reclaimed the Ryder Cup trophy in Rome, at the time they raised eyebrows.
Björk leads several categories on the DP World Tour this season, including scrambling, strokes gained as well as having the fewest bogeys per round on average.
The 33-year-old doesn’t possess the résumé of wins that some other players have, but it’s been an impressive campaign.
A place on the Ryder Cup side would have been warranted given his performances, but instead he had to watch the tournament on TV.
“I watched a little bit with mixed feelings actually because I was quite close to getting on the team,” continued the Swede.
“It’s always a great tournament to watch. It was a really strong performance from the European team and I’m happy for the guys.”
Björk is next set to tee it up later this month at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.
Read more from our interview with Alexander Björk in the November edition of Worldwide Golf, available in print and online.
