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Scott Hoch, hoping to make his Ryder Cup debut against Europe at Valderrama next year, has described statements by his fellow Americans Brad Faxon and Davis Love III that he should be barred from the team because he did not play in last week's Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes as "asinine". Hoch, who starts the defence his title at the Dutch Open at Hilversum today, is second in the US Ryder Cup points table behind the new Open champion, Tom Lehman.

Peter Thomson, the five-times Open champion, has been appointed captain of the International team in the President's Cup - less than a week after a players' revolt forced David Graham to resign. The President's Cup is contested by the United States and a rest of the world side made up of players not eligible for Ryder Cup selection. Thomson, an Australian now 65, said: "I am very pleased to have been asked to serve as captain this year. This competition has become meaningful to the players and to the public in a very short period of time, and I look forward to being part of it."