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.
After the Volvo China Open, the top 5 are (points in parentheses):
1. Rory McIlroy (2,584,843.51)
2. Peter Hanson (1,633,004.93)
3. Martin Kaymer (1,587,688.41)
4. Justin Rose (1,483,613.23)
5. Paul Lawrie (1,387,723.60)
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 world points list:
2. Lee Westwood (223.70)
3. Luke Donald (215.30)
6. Graeme McDowell (149.09)
8. Sergio Garcia (129.83)
10. Gonazlo Fernandez-Castano (108.12)
Finally, Olazabal will round out his team with two picks. This quartet of players would not currently make the team on merit, but are in good position to be hand-picked.
Ian Poulter: Poulter is a Ryder Cup assassin. If the No. 25 player in the world is even close to making the team, Olazabal will select him.
Thomas Bjorn: A winner three times in 2011, Bjorn is 14th on the European points list and 12th on the World Points list. It would be his first appearance in a decade.
Michael Hoey: The Ulsterman has won three times in the last 12 months and warrants a pick for his Ryder Cup debut.
Alvaro Quiros: The Spaniard is No. 9 on the European points list, is laid back and long off the tee. His shared nationality with Olazabal likely helps his case.