SHANE LOWRY’S HOPES of making his Ryder Cup debut next month now rest on Darren Clarke’s wildcard picks after the nine automatic qualifiers were confirmed this evening.
The European team for the 2016 edition of the biennial match will contain at least five rookies with results over the weekend deciding the automatic selection berths with a week to spare.
Lowry needed a top-four finish at the Wyndham Championship to keep his chances of automatic qualification alive but he sits in a tie for 42nd after posting eight-under par for the tournament.
Meanwhile, Thomas Pieters’ bid to force his way into the top nine fell agonisingly short as he lost out to Paul Peterson by a single shot at the Czech Masters.
It all means we now know nine of the players who will look to defend the trophy for Europe at Hazeltine in September, with Clarke set to name his three wildcards on 30 August.
Masters champion Danny Willett, Chris Wood, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Andy Sullivan and Matt Fitzpatrick are the five rookies already guaranteed a seat on the plane. Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose make up the rest of the team.
Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer are being heavily tipped to be two of Clarke’s captain’s picks while the third, and final, berth on the team could prove to be a real headache.
Pieters and Scotland’s Russell Knox — a recent winner on the PGA Tour — are among those in contention while Lowry, Graeme McDowell and Luke Donald are also pushing for inclusion.
The 2016 Ryder Cup takes place between 27 September and 2 October at Hazeltine National Club in Minnesota.
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