Jose Maria Olazabal and Jean Van de Velde warned Sam Torrance yesterday they would not be going out of their way to qualify automatically for the Ryder Cup.

The European captain is certain to face some tough decisions when he names his 12man team to try and regain the trophy at The Belfry in September with only two wild cards at his disposal.

Olazabal and Van de Velde are just two of the team that lost so controversially at Brookline currently spending the majority of their time on the US Tour along with Sergio Garcia, Jesper Parnevik and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Bernhard Langer, overlooked for a wild card in 1999, is also concentrating on the US Tour this season and was the top European finisher at the US Masters, in joint sixth.

In total that makes six players potentially competing for just two places and a massive headache for Torrance.

And unlike Colin Montgomerie, who stated last week he was determined Torrance would not have to "waste a pick" on him, Olazabal and Van de Velde are adamant they will not be making a special effort to make life easier for the European skipper.

"I have always said that my schedule this year was not done based on the Ryder Cup," said Olazabal, who has needed wild cards for three of his six appearances in the competition.

"I have to say if I don't play in the Ryder Cup this year it is not going to be the end of the world," he said. "It's not the first time I have felt that way about the Ryder Cup. I have played enough Ryder Cups already and I have enjoyed every one."

Van de Velde, who was upset not to play before the final day singles in Brookline after qualifying on the back of his runnersup finish in the British Open at Carnoustie, added: "The Ryder Cup has not been one of my goals I would say.

"I am only going to play a limited number of events in Europe and there are only two picks. There are a lot of good players with a much better CV than me who are going to be in the same boat.

"I have to play extremely well to be even in the team because last time I qualified I didn't play! I don't have any bitterness about it, it's just a fact."

Olazabal - who has Ian Woosnam's former caddy Phil "Wobbly" Morbey on the bag for the first time - and Van de Velde have not been in the best of form recently but they will still be among the favourites in the French Open, an event deprived of its defending champion after the withdrawal of Colin Montgomerie earlier this week.

Montgomerie missed the cut in Portugal last week, blaming an errant putter, and preferred to work on his game at home rather than defend the title he won at Le Golf National in Paris 12 months ago with two eagles in his final five holes.

"Things are changing in the game and maybe that is why players don't feel the need to do that, but I think it is nice to defend your title," added Olazabal.

"I've always defended."

Olazabal will play the next four events but could well find the new Sangliers course at Lyon Golf Club not to his liking.

Already long, at 7,352 yards, and narrow, the course is playing even longer, with plenty of recent rain making the fairways very soft and killing any run on the ball.

Last week's winner Phillip Price is also missing but former British Open champion Paul Lawrie, Seve Ballesteros, Costantino Rocca and Eduardo Romero are all competing, along with amateur champion Mikko Ilonen of Finland, who turned professional after this year's Masters.

Carlos Franco is in a slump this season but a return to the city known as the Big Easy may end the Paraguayan's troubles as he chases a third straight New Orleans title at English Turn starting tomorrow.

Franco's best results on the US Tour this season came at his first two events, joint 19th at both the Mercedes and Sony championships. Since then, he has missed four cuts and finished 46th at the Masters among eight other appearances.

"My short game and putting have been no good," Franco said. "I've missed many putts. It's impossible to play well, that's been the biggest difference in my game."

He will be challenged by a field that includes world number two Phil Mickelson, in his first tournament since finishing third at the Masters, and Masters runner-up David Duval, the world number seven.

Scott Hoch, fresh from his victory last week in the Greater Greensboro Open, is also in the field.