The European Tour amended its selection criteria for the 2018 Ryder Cup Wednesday, handing captain Thomas Bjorn an extra wildcard pick and tweaking the qualifying system so the team contains more in-form players. Europe lost to the United States by a crushing 17-11 margin at Hazeltine National last year, prompting the European Tour to change its selection criteria for the 2018 edition in Paris. Accordingly, Bjorn will have four wild card picks instead of the three given to last year's captain Darren Clarke. Tournaments in the latter half of the season will also be given a greater points weighting to ensure the team contains the players who are in the best form before the Ryder Cup begins. "I'm confident that we're going to have the 12 best European players representing us in France," Bjorn, who was named Europe's captain in December, said. "From my own experience when you make all your points in November and December the year before, it can be quite daunting to play in the Ryder Cup when you haven't played particularly well for three or four months coming into it. "I don't think you can, at any time in sports, take away from guys that are in form." Players will also now have to play a minimum of four European Tour events outside the Major Championships and World Golf Championships next season instead of five to keep their Tour membership. There will also be no Ryder Cup qualifying points available from tournaments played in the same weeks as the European Tour's new Rolex Series, a group of eight events with enhanced prize money that begins with the BMW PGA at Wentworth at the end of May. Els backs Tiger Four-time major winner Ernie Els believes age is no barrier to success for Tiger Woods as the American great embarks on his latest comeback attempt after crippling injuries have blighted his last three seasons. Woods experienced mixed results on his return to action after 15 months out in December but the 41-year-old 14-time major winner has committed to a busy schedule, starting at next week's Farmers Insurance Open, as he targets a return to full-time play. "I am in my late 40s and he is just getting into them. There have been a few cases where we have won majors in our 40s, it doesn't happen that often but it does happen," Els, who was 42 when he won the 2012 British Open, told reporters Wednesday. "If players like myself, Darren Clarke and Mark O'Meara won (majors) in our 40s, surely Tiger thinks he can do it too. I am sure its on his agenda," the South African added as he prepares for this week's Singapore Open. "Mentally, he is as strong as anybody but he needs to find some momentum at his favorite events and if he gets that, he can start believing again. I would love to see him play like he did back in the 90s, but I am not sure that is going to happen."
