European Masters: The year-long race to earn a place on the European team for the 35th Ryder Cup begins this week with a host of contenders launching their campaigns high in the Swiss Alps at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club at the European Masters.

The Ryder Cup qualification process takes on a different shape this year with five players qualifying from a Ryder Cup World Points list, based on all world ranking events starting tomorrow, and five players from a Ryder Cup European Points List, based upon money earned on The European Tour International Schedule.

Five more players will thus have the chance to qualify through money earned in official European Tour events, one Euro being converted into one point, and Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer's two wild cards will complete the line-up.

Colin Montgomerie yesterday welcomed the new qualifying system - but voiced his grave concerns over the possible loss of Langer as captain.

Montgomerie shares Langer's view that the new method of selecting the European side should produce the strongest team possible.

Players' world ranking points, earned from each event they play in, will be added together, unlike the Official World Rankings which take an average of points earned per event.

However, Langer last week revealed he had not ruled out the possibility of qualifying for the team and an 11th appearance himself, and insisted he would give up the captaincy if he succeeded.

The 46-year-old German was quick to reject suggestions that this could leave the team in limbo just weeks before the contest at Oakland Hills in September, but Montgomerie was clearly concerned about the possibility.

"It could be one month before, three weeks before, and then we might lose our captain," said Montgomerie, Europe's top points scorer at the Belfry last year.

"He has to make a very, very serious choice as vice-captain. He has to be very careful who he chooses as his vice-captain if he is close to qualifying, as that guy will have to take over."

The obvious candidates would appear to be Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle, the men Langer was chosen ahead of, but Montgomerie added: "No, that's gone. That process is finished. It's Bernhard's choice and your guess is as good as mine.

"He just feels he wants the best team and if he is in the top 12 he feels obliged to play. Our whole system is based on needing the top players and we've been very fortunate the last few times that we've actually had it. Very fortunate.

"We've tried to do something to take away a certain risk but there is a risk in every system. The only non-risk system is the one I've advocated for many years, which is 12 picks. There's your best team."

Langer feels the new system should mean he does not have to "waste" picks on the likes of Jesper Parnevik and Sergio Garcia, who failed to qualify last time as they spend most of their time in the United States.

And Garcia, who finished 31st in the points table but was in the world's top 10 at the time of the matches, would love to oblige to make his former team-mate's life easier.

"I would like to make it easier for Bernhard and I am going to give it my best shot," said the 23-year-old, playing only his third regular European Tour event this season. "Nobody is a sure pick.

"I think the new system is great because for us playing in America, it makes it easier. If we play well we don't have to be a pick and I think it's going to get us the best team to try to beat the Americans.

"I don't think we should worry that we are starting from scratch on the world rankings. If we play well we should be fine and if I do that I have enough chances to get in there, either by the Order of Merit or world ranking."

As Montgomerie put it, whoever wins this week "is off to a head start" with the top prize of 266,660 more than a quarter of the way to the amount with which Phillip Price secured the last qualifying place for the Belfry.

Competition for that first prize will be fierce, however, with current European number one Ernie Els, defending champion Robert Karlsson and tournament winners Paul Casey, Michael Campbell and Trevor Immelman among the field high up in the Swiss Alps.

Els, number one on the Volvo Order of Merit, heads the field for the Tour's annual Alpine visit. Including Montgomerie, there are 12 champions, past and present, who will tee up at Crans-sur-Sierre.

Sweden's Robert Karlsson defends the title he secured with a wire-to-wire victory 12 months ago.

Karlsson arrives in Switzerland in good form, having led last week's BMW International Open for two days before being overhauled by England's Lee Westwood down the closing stretch.

Another former winner taking part is Ronan Rafferty, and he will be joined in Switzerland by fellow countrymen Graeme McDowell, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane and Philip Walton.