European Tour Ryder Cup race: So, the time is nigh. After the most protracted build-up to any qualifying campaign in the history of the Ryder Cup - enterprisingly promoted, it must be said, by Fáilte Ireland and those other bodies responsible for the financial wherewithal that secured the match for The K Club in 2006 - the actual process of determining just what players will fill Europe's team sheet for next year's defence of the trophy against the United States will start on Thursday in the European Masters at Crans in Switzerland.

Compared to the American process, which spans two years, European qualifying is a sprint. It will take in a 12-month calendar period starting with this week's European Masters and finishing with next year's BMW International in Munich - and, for the second time, the team will be finalised by dual means: the World Points list and the European Points list - a procedure designed to allow for the growing number of Europeans attempting to also play on the US Tour.

In determining the team's final make-up, the World Points list - whereby world ranking points won by a European Tour member from each tournament he plays (on any Federated Tour, be it in Europe, the US, Australia, Asia or South Africa) during the qualifying period, which in regard to world ranking points will finish a week before the BMW International - will provide the first five members of the team.

Then, as was the case for Oakland Hills in 2004, the European Points list - with one point equal to one euro earned by a European Tour member from all officially sanctioned PGA European Tour events in the qualifying period up to the BMW International - will ascertain the next five members of the team for the match at The K Club on September 22nd-24th, 2006. Captain Ian Woosnam will complete the 12-man team by naming two wild-card picks after the final counting tournament in Munich in a year's time.

Not surprisingly, Woosnam is playing in Crans this week, and that's a strategy he intends to continue with throughout the qualifying campaign.

"I'll be thinking every week and making adjustments as to who I think will be playing with each other," he said.

"Which will be best in fourballs, foursomes, singles? It's a 12-month job to think who's going to be playing in the right pairings, really. I'll be asking my vice-captains (Des Smyth and Peter Baker) the same thing, who they think (should play together).

"I think the best thing I could do is to be out there playing with the guys, and therefore I can persuade the Tour to let me play with some of the players I need to. You know, players I want to keep an eye on, or who I feel like I want to know their game a little more. I don't know some of the guys that well, and I'd like to get to know them a bit more . . . and, hopefully, as the team comes together, if we can get some dinners together and get a little bit of a family atmosphere going, I think that's very important."

Only European players who are members - be that full, affiliate, honorary life or Challenge Tour - of the PGA European Tour are eligible to be considered for selection and only points won on the World Points list or the European Points list while in membership will count.

Those keen on securing an automatic place on Woosnam's team for a match that, according to the European Tour, has created an "unprecedented demand" for tickets - hospitality for the main tournament days is already sold out and there is only limited supply left for some of the practice days - will know a record number of qualifying points will be required, partly because of the dual qualification and also because of increased purses.

For example, Phillip Price secured the final automatic place on the team for the Belfry in 2002 (though the qualifying actually concluded in August 2001, with the match subsequently postponed for a year owing to the terrorist attacks of September 11th) when he amassed 858,944 points. For the 2004 match, however, the 10th and final automatic place was taken by Ian Poulter, with a tally of 1,136,184.

So, this time round, it would seem players will need to break through the 1.5-million marker to guarantee an automatic place.

In this regard, it is no wonder those Europeans - among them Paul McGinley - who have secured their places in the limited 16-man field for the HSBC World Matchplay at Wentworth next month, which has £1 million to the winner, are pleased. Apart from chasing the biggest purse in golf, they will be gaining a headstart on many of their rivals for places on the team.

McGinley, who has moved up to a career-high 33rd in the world rankings, won't be competing in Crans this week, delaying his first appearance - as are Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell - in the Ryder Cup qualifying campaign until next week's German Masters in Cologne.

Nevertheless, there will be a significant Irish presence in Switzerland for the European Masters, with Peter Lawrie, showing good form lately, joined by Gary Murphy, Stephen Browne and Philip Walton.

Shaun Stapleton, who is South African-based but represents Ireland and plays mainly on the Sunshine Tour, is playing on a sponsor's invite.

Irish positions on European Tour Order of Merit: 7th, P McGinley (19) €1,161,083; 17th, D Clarke (11) €810,929; 42nd, P Lawrie (26) €402,285; 44th, P Harrington (12) €382,945; 47th, G McDowell (14) €370,391; 56th, D McGrane (25) €330,701; 74th, G Murphy (24) €268,517; 184th, D Higgins (7) €44,017; 192nd, S Browne (19) €36,254; 202nd, C Moriarty (4) €30,100; 218th, M Hoey (5) €22,252; 274th, P Walton (14) €7,453.

How Europe picked last two teams

2004 (Oakland Hills)

World Points List

1 Padraig Harrington 234 pts

2 Sergio Garcia 225

3 Darren Clarke 191

4 M-A Jimenez 174

5 Lee Westwood 153

*European Points List

1 Thomas Levet 1,895,225

2 Paul Casey 1,552,371

3 David Howell 1,153,682

4 Paul McGinley 1,149,576

5 Ian Poulter 1,136,184

Captain's Picks: Luke Donald, Colin Montgomerie

2002 (The Belfry)

European Points List

1 Darren Clarke 2,281,476

2 Padraig Harrington ... 1,846,760

3 Thomas Bjorn 1,684,002

4 Colin Montgomerie ... 1,488,625

5 Pierre Fulke 1,287,876

6 Lee Westwood 1,255,619

7 Paul McGinley 1,087,584

8 Niclas Fasth 1,076,272

9 Bernhard Langer 1,072,119

10 Phillip Price 858,944 Captain's Picks

Sergio Garcia

Jesper Parnevik

WorldRankings

1 Tiger Woods (US) 18.37 pts ave

2 Vijay Singh (Fij) 12.34

3 Phil Mickelson (US) 10.16

4 Ernie Els (Rsa) 9.52

5 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 8.15

6 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 7.08

7 Adam Scott (Aus) 5.55

8 Chris DiMarco (US) 5.51

9 Jim Furyk (US) 5.49

10 Kenny Perry (US) 5.38

11 Padraig Harrington (Ire) 5.28

12 David Toms (US) 5.12

13 Angel Cabrera (Arg) 4.77

14 Luke Donald (Eng) 4.6

15 Davis Love-III (US) 4.41

.....

18 Darren Clarke (Ire) 4.1

33 Paul McGinley (Ire) 2.88

OrderOfMerit

1 Michael Campbell (NZ) ... €1,775,372

2 Retief Goosen (SA) 1,557,910

3 Colin Montgomerie (Brit) 1,546,989

4 Angel Cabrera (Arg) 1,499,668

5 Thomas Bjorn (Den) 1,435,628

6 David Howell (Brit) 1,419,302

7 Paul McGinley (Ire) 1,161,083

8 Niclas Fasth (Swe) 1,101,987

9 Ernie Els (SA) 1,012,682

10 Vijay Singh (Fij) 973,096

11 M A Jimenez (Spa) 959,963

12 Luke Donald (Brit) 897,281

13 Stephen Dodd (Brit) 861,134

14 Nick O'Hern (Aus) 849,738

15 Henrik Stenson (Swe) 827,385

16 Ian Poulter (Brit) 823,359

17 Darren Clarke (Ire) 810,929

18 Bradley Dredge (Brit) 773,435

USTour

1 Tiger Woods (US) $8,592,674

2 Vijay Singh (Fiji) $7,307,669

3 Phil Mickelson (US) $5,609,025

4 David Toms (US) $3,656,213

5 Jim Furyk (US) $3,577,435

6 Kenny Perry (US) $3,426,655

7 Chris DiMarco (US) $3,210,712

8 Retief Goosen (SA) $3,185,275

9 Sergio Garcia (Spa) $2,642,458

10 Fred Funk (US) $2,598,524

11 P Harrington (Ire) $2,357,406

12 Justin Leonard (US) $2,322,716

13 Adam Scott (Aus) $2,288,242

14 Luke Donald (Brit) $2,221,695

15 Davis Love III (US) $2,096,796

16 Sean O'Hair (US) $2,026,262

17 Scott Verplank (US) $2,012,863

18 Billy Mayfair (US) $1,921,615