Tour news: The permutations aren't exactly rocket science, but you could understand if Paul McGinley decided to include a 15th club, in the form of a calculator, in his bag at the BMW International championship at Munich this week, where the European team for next month's Ryder Cup match at The K Club will be finalised.

With Jose Maria Olazabal leapfrogging Colin Montgomerie by the narrow margin of just 0.27 points on the world points list after the Bridgestone Invitational, McGinley has dropped down one place to currently hold the 10th, and last, automatic qualifying place on Ian Woosnam's team.

Of course, should Monty jump back over Olazabal in the world points list after the BMW, where the Spaniard is not playing, it would provide McGinley with an even softer cushion than the one he is currently sitting on.

The least complicated piece of the jigsaw that will finally fall into place on Sunday evening is that Woosnam will name his two "wild card" picks after the conclusion of the BMW International, and the fact that Darren Clarke has been fitted out for his team apparel might provide a strong hint as to the destination of one of those captain's picks.

For McGinley, though, qualifying is very much in his own hands. Sure, McGinley can still be bumped off the team; but it would require a series of unlikely events and stellar performances from those players in immediate pursuit for the Irishman, the hero of the Ryder Cup at the Belfry in 2002, to find himself without a place on the team for next month's encounter.

There are, however, a number of ways in which McGinley could still lose out, if Olazabal manages to stay ahead of Monty on the world points list: it would mean Paul Broadhurst either winning in Munich (with McGinley finishing worse than second) or the Englishman finishing second (with McGinley worse than seventh).

The other possible scenario would be for Johan Edfors to win (with McGinley again failing to finish in the top two) or for the Swede to finish second (with McGinley worse than 32nd).

While, at a stretch, it is also conceivable for John Bickerton to make a last-ditch claim for a place, by winning (but with McGinley missing the cut).

Although nothing is certain in sport, recent form would indicate that things are heavily stacked in McGinley's favour in his quest to make a third successive Ryder Cup appearance.

Broadhurst hasn't had a top-10 finish on tour since finishing second in the Wales Open back in May, while Edfors has not had a top-10 since winning the Scottish Open (his third win of the year and, strangely, those three victories mark his only top-10s of the season) in July.

It would seem that Padraig Harrington's place on the team is safe, as it would require a double-whammy of Broadhurst winning and McGinley finishing second with the Dubliner finishing outside the top-seven for him to relinquish his place on the team when the year-long qualifying campaign comes to an end on Sunday.

Given the huge purses that players have been playing for in recent months, the BMW - with a top prize of €333,330 and a runner-up prize of €222,220 - is a bit like beer compared to champagne, but it is still significantly big to alter the make-up of the European team should all the cards fall in a certain order.

Those players who are definitely assured of places on the European are Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, David Howell, Colin Montgomerie, Robert Karlsson and Paul Casey.

Harrington, it would seem, is all but over the line; and, although McGinley currently occupies the last automatic place, the more precarious position is probably held by Olazabal, as Montgomerie only requires to claim one world ranking point this week to secure his place via the world points list.

While much of the focus will be on the Ryder Cup and the different permutations this week, there is also a prestige tournament title at stake and there are eight Irish players in action.

Harrington, McGinley, Graeme McDowell, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Gary Murphy, Michael Hoey and David Higgins are all in the field, while Stephen Browne, still attempting to secure his card for next season, is fourth reserve, while England's David Howell defends the title won with a stunning display last year.