Golf:Injured Ross McGowan pulled out of the Johnnie Walker Championship after an opening 77 at Gleneagles on Thursday and now cannot qualify for Europe's Ryder Cup team, guaranteeing Italian Francesco Molinari a debut at Celtic Manor in October.
McGowan has been battling a pinched nerve in his left shoulder for the past month, but hit only four pitch shots in practice on Wednesday and has now been advised to rest it.
"It feels great, but maybe it's not the best way to make the team," said Molinari this evening. "I feel sorry for Ross.
The 28-year-old English player, clearly in agony at times during his round, needed a top-two finish to have any chance of gaining an automatic place on Colin Montgomerie's side.
McGowan would have had to win the final counting event to put Molinari in danger of missing out, but now the 27-year-old from Turin joins Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher in the line-up.
Two automatic spots and three wild cards are still to be determined.
"I'm pretty gutted to be honest," said McGowan. "I had a great opportunity to make the team after such a good finish to last year, but there's not much I can do about it."
The shoulder is just the latest problem he has suffered since finishing second to Westwood in the Dubai World Championship last November. First came a knee strain and then a wrist injury.
He bogeyed four of his first seven holes and although he hit his tee shot to the short 17th - his eighth - to 15 feet he squatted down on the tee in obvious pain and as he got up clutched his shoulder and chest.
"Unfortunately it's the last event and I won't be able to make the team now, but I've a few years left in me and hopefully I will in two years."
He dismisses the possibility of a wild card on Sunday evening, knowing that world top 22 players Paul Casey, Pádraig Harrington, Luke Donald, Justin Rose and Edoardo Molinari - Francesco's brother and World Cup-winning partner - are all needing one of Montgomerie three picks.
Montgomerie, aware of McGowan's struggles, said: "I have great sympathy for him. He's come and made a great effort and I wish him the best."