European Ryder Cup standings: Big week ahead for Olazabal's team
PGA Championship Ryder Cup

European Ryder Cup standings: Big week ahead for Olazabal’s team

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Though the cutoff to make the European Ryder Cup team isn't this week, any player can make a charge onto the squad with a high finish at the PGA Championship.

European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal will pull 10 automatic qualifiers from two separate points lists. The top 5 players on the European Points List after the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles will make the team.

The top 5 after the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational (points in parentheses):

1. Rory McIlroy (2,859,350.76)
2. Justin Rose (2,286,013.74)
3. Graeme McDowell (2,257,697.58)
4. Paul Lawrie (2,073,367.70)
5. Francesco Molinari (2,048,671.24)

The next five players will be the highest five on the World Points List not already on the team. Currently, that handful of players would consist of the following in order of their position on the list (points in parentheses):

2. Luke Donald (359.31)
4. Lee Westwood (280.27)
8. Peter Hanson (173.57)
9. Martin Kaymer (172.26)
10. Sergio Garcia (158.85)

Olazabal will finalize his team by making two picks. Here are a few players currently on the wrong side of the bubble who will merit consideration:

Nicolas Colsaerts: The Belgian is a likely pick given his length and contending at both the U.S. Open and Open Championship.

Ian Poulter: Poulter is practically a lock to make the team given his high finishes in majors this year and Ryder Cup C.V.

Rafael Cabrera-Bello: Cabrera-Bello provides an easy captain's pick for Olazabal, particularly if Garcia stumbles this week. His run at Firestone may have locked up a pick.

Padraig Harrington: Harrington needs another top-three finish before the cutoff. Doing it this week would be huge. A T-19 at Reno did not help, but did not hurt, his case.

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Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is a scratch golfer...sometimes.

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