Golf:Picking the best wild cards to try to win back the Ryder Cup will be the only thing on Colin Montgomerie's mind this weekend — not where certain stars are playing.
With Paul Casey, Pádraig Harrington and Luke Donald sticking to their guns in America, not Gleneagles - where they all could have qualified for the team - Monty knows he has to leave at least one of them or Justin Rose out when he names his three picks on Sunday.
Though he originally wanted the quartet at the Johnnie Walker Championship and expected them to fly across the Atlantic to be there, Europe’s captain does not appear in the mood to punish them for their decision.
So if he does instead choose Italian Edoardo Molinari, the other world top 22 player requiring a wild card, or somebody else it will be on golfing grounds rather than who has shown more support to the European Tour.
However, the Scot hinted today he may let the rankings decide a tough decision come Sunday.
“I will be selecting the best 12 players,” Montgomerie stated today. “My remit at the start of this campaign - and it’s never changed - was to assemble the best 12 players.
“The situation of players not attending here has changed in my opinion. I’m glad that the players (in America) that might well get selected are playing competitive golf.
“I think the American team’s performance at Valhalla was boosted by the fact that they were playing competitive golf right up to the Ryder Cup.
“If it boosts their performance it can boost our own.”
Montgomerie revealed that he knows the three who would get the nod if he were handing the wild cards out now — Casey, Donald and Harrington are the three highest in the world rankings and with the most cup experience — but nothing is yet cast in stone.
“I’ve not made my mind up yet,” he stated. “It’s impossible to do really because the scenarios might well change.”
That is because only six of the nine automatic qualifiers are certain entering the final counting event.
They are Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher.
Molinari’s brother and World Cup-winning partner Francesco is almost home and dry in seventh spot, but Sunday’s Czech Open winner Peter Hanson and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, knocked down to ninth by Hanson’s victory and a late entry this week because of it, are under attack.
A top two finish could get Ross McGowan in, while Simon Dyson and Alvaro Quiros both have to win just to have a chance. Fearing that changes in the weather might influence the outcome, Montgomerie has been given his wish that the main contenders play together in the first two rounds.
McGowan tees off with Jimenez and Edoardo Molinari and in the very next group — at 8.10am tomorrow and 1.10pm on Friday — Hanson is with Dyson and Quiros.
“If the wind changed or the wind sprung up it would be very unfortunate if someone was left on the wrong end of the draw.
“It does even itself out over the year, but on this occasion I wanted to have the players under the same conditions.”