No easy places in my Ryder Cup team, says Faldo

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Europe's strength in depth will make for a real battle to get into the Ryder Cup team defending the trophy against the U.S. at Valhalla next year, captain Nick Faldo said on Saturday.

The six-times major winner, making a rare playing appearance at the Hong Kong Open this week, said he was a long way from thinking about his picks for a team which will be playing for a fourth straight victory in Kentucky next September.

"I'm not talking about anyone on the leaderboard, it's too early days here," he said.

"We'll start thinking about it next year when we get a better idea of who's leading the standings.

"Those last few months it'll be a bunfight, when they know they've only got a few tournaments to go.

"It's going to be tight, we've got good depth. You're not going to back your way into the Ryder Cup team."

Faldo, who played in 11 Ryder Cups, earlier this week brushed off comments from three-times Europe skipper Bernard Gallacher that he had never considered the Englishman a team player.

"Do I look bothered?" he said. "That's a tough one when you have the leading points individually and are tied with (Bernhard) Langer for team points, as in playing with a partner."

Playing badly does bother the 50-year-old, however, and after making the cut at a European Tour event for the first time in more than two years, he hit four bogeys in a round of 72 on Saturday to fall way of the pace.

"I get frustrated hitting bad shots... still, I'm going to hit a 62 tomorrow," he laughed.

(Editing by John O'Brien)