Ryder Cup changes on Tour agenda after McIlroy’s plea

Rory McIlroy’s Ryder Cup wish may soon be granted. The European Tour is to consider the world No2’s plea for the selection procedure to be radically overhauled, with chief executive Keith Pelley insisting “we are not afraid to make big changes”.

Last week, McIlroy denounced the regulation which demands that players are members of the Tour if they are to be eligible to play in the biennial dustup and was backed by Lee Westwood. It was this rule which stopped Paul Casey, the world No 12, from appearing at Hazeltine, where Europe suffered a record defeat to the United States.

Yet while the suspicion was that the Tour would continue to use the Ryder Cup as one of the main bargaining tools to convince the top Europeans to play on their home circuit, Pelley believes that it is his job to ensure that the stars appear without having to hold the selection gun to their heads.

“Our job as the gatekeepers of the Tour is to provide bigger purses, greater experiences and greater courses so that the players want to play here – and play here more than they need to just to stay a member – and so be a Ryder Cup player,” he said.

“The Ryder Cup is a critical component of our Tour and it is a sensational event. But it shouldn’t be the only reason why someone wants to be on our Tour. That’s our job at hand right now.

“We are having discussions regarding the qualification system. We won’t be afraid to make the changes.”

Pelley was speaking here at the Regnum Carya Golf Resort, where the Dane Thorbjorn Olesen takes a commanding seven-shot lead into the final day. Olesen would have been even further ahead if he had not bogeyed the last in a round of 68, which left him on 18 under

Racing ahead: Thorbjorn Olesen has a seven-shot lead going into the final round in Turkey

par. However, while that five from the rough gave David Horsey, and the others in the chasing pack on 11 under, a glimmer of hope, the Englishman knows the scale of the task ahead.

“Thorbjorn is in control and ultimately we’ve got to put some pressure on him and hopefully he’ll falter,” Horsey said, after his 68.

Masters champion Danny Willett also shot a 68, but on two under has to make up nine shots if he is to gain the top-five placing he requires to displace Henrik Stenson at the top of the Race to Dubai standings.