Langer brushes off Open absence

Bernhard Langer has moved to defend his captaincy of the European Ryder Cup team after being a notable absentee from the Open Championship.

Hal Sutton, Langer's United States counterpart, flew to Royal Troon to check first-hand on the form of likely squad members for September's showdown at Oakland Hills. But Langer stayed at home and watched on television.

The 46-year-old German explained: "I felt the last thing the guys needed was for me to be distracting them when their own focus was on winning The Open.

"You don't go there to bond for the Ryder Cup or chit-chat over dinner. There will be plenty of time to bond ahead of playing the Americans. We will be ready.

"My response to anyone who suggests we shall be anything other than a strong team is to believe that at your peril. There are few more competitive persons in sport than myself and I will leave nothing to chance."