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 (Click for U.S. team standings).
Top 5 after the Volvo China Open (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 list is unchanged from last week.
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 (236.10)
3. Lee Westwood (223.70)
6. Graeme McDowell (149.09)
8. Sergio Garcia (129.83)
10. Gonazlo Fernandez-Castano (108.12)
Though Donald and Westwood swapped positions, the same five players were on this list last week.
Olazabal will round out his team with two picks. Here are some players not currently inside the top five of either points list, who have been performing well:
Ian Poulter: Lives for the Ryder Cup. He should be the equivalent of Tiger Woods for the U.S. – if he’s even close, he’ll be on the team.
Thomas Bjorn: A three-time winner last season, Bjorn seeks his first appearance in a decade.
Michael Hoey: The Ulsterman has won three times in the last 12 months and warrants a look for his Ryder Cup debut despite recent poor finishes in Malaysia and China.
Nicolas Colsaerts: The Belgian deserves a look after nearly defending his title at the Volvo China Open. His length makes him a player comparable to Alvaro Quiros, another potential pick.