Lawrie To Skip U.S. Open For Ryder Cup Points Grab

From Bernie McGuire, the staggering, almost unbearable news which should have the USGA ticket office at Olympic Club lowering the flags and cooking up ways to stave off the refund exodus.

"My record in the U.S. Open is not good and I understand that it is a major, but I feel I have more chance of playing well at the BMW International Open the week after," Lawrie said Wednesday at the Spanish Open. "I know people are going to be surprised ... but I stand more chance of earning Ryder Cup points at the BMW in Cologne then in the U.S. Open in California."

He won the Qatar Masters in February.

Lawrie said the U.S. Open course setups don't suit his game. He has played the event four times - from 2001 to 2004 - managing to make the cut in 2002 at Bethpage Black.

"That year everyone was shooting low despite the weather," he said. "So it's a decision I had been thinking about for a long time and I knew it was going to be an issue but if you know you can't compete in a particular tournament, then why go?"

Hey, at least he's honest about it. If he'd mention the need for family time, the Twitter swooning would be in full force!