Ryder Cup Race: Rookies occupy five spots
Last Updated: 25/06/16 12:07pm
With three months to go, we look at who is in a firm position to be involved in Darren Clarke's Ryder Cup team, with five rookies in the nine automatic qualifying spots.
Despite a tough US Open for Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose, the three Ryder Cup veterans look certain to be a part of Darren Clarke's team. They are three of only four players to have qualified that played a part in the 2014 win at Gleneagles.
Another close call at a major championship means Sergio Garcia will be there once more when the European team call him up for Ryder Cup duty, but this year the focus will be upon the rising stars of European golf who look set to assume more than half of the positions in the team.
This year's Masters champion Danny Willett is certain to feature as he tops the European points list ahead of McIlroy. His nine-over-par at the US Open was enough for him to end up tied for 37th place, and with two wins this season he will no doubt be an important part of his first Ryder Cup.
Chris Wood looked to cement his place in the third European qualification spot after finishing tied for 23rd at Oakmont on Sunday. The world No 24 catapulted his way from eighth to third after winning the BMW PGA Championship at the end of May, and the following week finished tied for 6th at the Lioness Open.
Currently sitting behind Wood in the last qualifying spot on the European points list is Matthew Fitzpatrick, and despite a rocky third round at the US Open, this month's Nordea Masters champion finished seventh at the Masters and has produced consistent golf this season.
Rafa Cabrera-Bello is the man sitting in the fourth qualifying spot on the world points list, and with his worst result of the year being tied for 36th back in February, Cabrera-Bello would have to string a series of bad results together to miss being the fourth rookie to be included in Clarke's team.
The real move this week was made by Shane Lowry, who held a four-shot lead heading in to the final round of the US Open. The Irishman hadn't finished better than 23rd this year, but his second-place standing at the second major of the year sees him close the gap on Andy Sullivan, who is in the last automatic qualification spot.
Three-time European Tour winner Sullivan has finished outside of the top 30 only three times this season, but with Lowry on his heels it may be a tight contest for the final qualification spot.
Lee Westwood is not far behind Lowry, the two separated by just four points on the world points list.
It might have been a different story if not for Westwood's final-round collapse at the US Open, but three top 10 finishes in his last five events mean the Englishman is heading in the right direction and his past Ryder Cup experience will most likely see him be handed one of Clarke's captain's picks.
Over on the European points list, the rookie from the winning side at Gleneagles Victor Dubuisson sits in seventh position behind Sullivan and Cabrera-Bello.
He may be high up on the list, but it looks unlikely he will put up a strong enough contest to regain a spot in this year's squad.
Soren Kjeldsen is another potential candidate for inclusion in this year's squad, as he sits behind Dubuisson in the European list, and lies 12th behind Westwood in the world points list.
Kjeldsen finished tied for seventh at the Masters and had a good run of results at the start of the season, but two missed cuts in a row mean he will more than likely be relying on a potential wild-card pick.
Not far behind Kjeldsen on either list is Thorbjorn Olesen, who has been consistently on the periphery of the points list this season having been safely inside the top 20 in four of his last five events.
With three months to go, he could easily move up the rankings, but very close behind him is other potential rookie Thomas Pieters, who has been in contention several times this season.
Darren Clarke is going to have a lot of options when it comes to choosing rookie's for his picks.
The top four members on the European Points list at the end of August 2016 will automatically secure their spots for Hazeltine, as will the five players not already in the side who have won the highest number of OWGR (Official World Golf Rankings) points over the same time period.
Watch every European Tour and PGA Tour event throughout the season - and the Ryder Cup - live on Sky Sports, your home of golf