HOW THE EUROPEAN TEAM IS TAKING SHAPE
TEAM EUROPE skipper Thomas Bjorn will get one last look at some key men this week before finalising his squad for Paris
ALREADY THERE:
Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren.
ALMOST THERE:
Thorbjorn Olesen — Hanging on to the final automatic qualifying spot. If he can finish in the top six this weekend, nobody can take that away from him.
STILL IN WITH A CHANCE:
Matthew Fitzpatrick (right) — Needs to win in Denmark and hope Olesen finishes no better than a tie for seventh with two other players. Eddie Pepperell — To pip Olesen, he needs to win this week and hope that the Dane finishes outside the top 12.
WAITING BY THE PHONE:
Ian it’s almost Poulter impossible — No 9 on to the imagine list at the the moment, Ryder Cup without an in-form Poulter. He’ll be a wild card pick for sure. Thomas Pieters — Outstanding as a rookie two years ago, winning three matches with Rory McIlroy and his singles tie as he blitzed his way to a 4-1 record. Henrik Stenson — Troubled by an elbow injury on and off this season, the fact that he’s appeared in four Ryder Cups may give him the edge in the eyes of Bjorn.
Sergio Garcia — Failed to even make the final stretch in the FedEx Cup race, missing the cut in seven of his past 12 tournaments. Must be worried about his chances. Russell Knox — Tenth on the overall points list, he has to be under consideration and a win at the Dell Technologies Championship would boost his claims. But a second wild card snub in a row looks most likely.
Paul Casey — Walked away from the European Tour after being snubbed for a wild card in 2010, he is keen to return and his five top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour highlight his consistency. Rafa Cabrera-Bello — Would be a genuine wild card if selected. But he was an unbeaten member of Team Europe at Hazeltine two years ago. Not to be discounted.