Westwood backs Faldo for Ryder cup spot

Lee Westwood is still backing Sawgrass flop Nick Faldo to make Europe's Ryder Cup team.

He believes the fading 41-year-old British star is still good enough to force himself into Mark James's side, even though Faldo's misery grew with a disqualification in the final round of the Players' Championship.

Faldo was booted out of the five million dollar event for incorrectly dropping his ball.

And with it his chances of a record 12th successive Ryder Cup appearance plunged.

He has completed all four rounds only once in six events this year and his confidence tank is empty, his swing suspect and his putting erratic.

But Westwood insisted: "Nick is too good a player not to come out of this."

The 25-year-old from Worksop, who collected more than £100,000 for sixth place in Jacksonville, added: "A Ryder Cup without Nick Faldo would be a weaker European team. He has meant so much to the match over the years."

TRW