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 to view U.S. Ryder Cup standings).
Top 5 after the Volvo World Match Play Championship (points in parentheses):
1. Rory McIlroy (2,584,843.51)
2. Peter Hanson (1,665,798.93)
3. Martin Kaymer (1,620,482.41)
4. Paul Lawrie (1,542,548.60)
5. Justin Rose (1,531,119.23)
The five players are unchanged this week, though Lawrie and Rose swapped places.
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 (252.10)
3. Lee Westwood (235.69)
5. Graeme McDowell (169.49)
8. Sergio Garcia (137.82)
10. Nicolas Colsaerts (118.94)
The list is unchanged from last week.
Olazabal will finalize his team by making two picks. Here are some players not currently inside the top five of either points list who deserve consideration:
Rafael Cabrera-Bello: He fell out of the 10 qualifiers after the Match Play but got to the semifinals.
Francesco Molinari: After winning the Spanish Open for his first European Tour title since 2010, the Italian missed the cut at Sawgrass by one shot.
Ian Poulter: He could not defend at the Match Play but did get to the knockout round.
Thomas Bjorn: His first start since the Masters saw him lose to Brandt Snedeker at the Match Play in a match where the American began with 10 clubs.
Robert Rock: The Abu Dhabi winner was knocked out in the round of 16 at the Match Play. He T-16 at the Spanish Open, as well.