If Andrew Coltart is longing for a Ryder Cup return and the chance of sweet revenge over Tiger Woods he is not admitting it.
Indeed the man occupying 10th and last automatic spot in the qualifying table claimed it was the last thing on his mind after yesterday's TNT Dutch Open first round in Noordwijk.
He shares second place with fellow Scot Dean Robertson and former Ryder Cup star Peter Baker, two behind surprise pacemaker Niels Boysen, a 27-year-old Dutch amateur who missed the cut on his previous nine appearances in the championship.
If Coltart earns a second outing against the Americans and the chance to improve on his played one-lost one record, he claims it will be because he ignored the prospect.
Two years ago, after picking him and not Bernard Langer to face the Americans, skipper Mark James left him on the sidelines the first two days at Brookline, Massachusetts.
In the Sunday singles Coltart drew the short straw in Woods and lost 3 and 2.
Coltart would surely love a second chance at the Belfry on September 28th-30th, but he insists: "The Ryder Cup is the least of my concerns at the moment.
"I'm trying to win tournaments to climb up the world rankings. If I can achieve that then the little perks will come along.
"There are a lot of guys out there who are going to be sweating because they are worrying about it - I'm just trying to play golf and pick up the silverware and get my name engraved on it and see where we go from there.
"You can create a huge obstacle by thinking about the Ryder Cup which is going to trip you up from achieving your goals for the season.
"I want to win another tournament, try and get into the Masters and finish in the top 50 in the world."
Coltart's blinkered approach paid dividends when he ended a three-year wait for his second European Tour title in last month's Great North Open.
The 31-year-old admits: "The way I won at Slaley Hall proved something to me - you don't need to play fantastic golf for four rounds to win.
"My putting has gone off the boil a bit but I think it's just round the corner and I can't see any reason why I'm not challenging for tournaments more often."
Coltart's first nine of 32 included a chip-in eagle, and after following a birdie start for home with a double-bogey seven he bounced back with a brace of twos.
"I kept my head screwed on after the double bogey and continued to focus on the next shot. Maybe something of my playing partner Ernie Els' laconic attitude rubbed off. I certainly kept my tempo all the way round."
Coltart has good reason to remember flying Dutchman Boysen. The blond six-footer beat him back in 1989 as Holland defeated Scotland for third place in the European team championships in Madrid.
"I don't know why I hadn't made the cut before," said Boysen. "But I have been hitting my irons much better this month and putting better as well.
"I started very well and made birdies on the 11th and 12th - that gave me a big boost for the round.
"I made a stupid bogey at the third when I missed the green with wedge. But after that I was cruising."
Langer, a double Dutch Open winner, had to settle for 69 as he bids to move up on Coltart from 14th place in the Ryder Cup table.
Darren Clarke, who heads that table, shot 68 while Padraig Harrington, in third place, had a bogey-free 67.
Paul McGinley, a place in front of Coltart in the qualifying list, is under threat after a modest 71, while Lee Westwood, already assured of a team berth, continued in the doldrums with a 74.
Philip Walton, still battling to retain his tour card through invitations, made a strong start with a 69, while Eamonn Darcy and David Higgins were just a shot further back. Des Smyth fired a 73, while Ronan Rafferty shot 77.
Boysen was not wearing the day's biggest smile. England's Russell Claydon claimed that after winning a £20,000 sterling Lancia car for a hole in one - two weeks after almost writing off his own car in a collision.
