Europe's Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance confirmed yesterday that Sergio Garcia was certain of a place in his team to face the United States at The Belfry in England next month.
Speaking on the eve of the BMW International, the final tournament to count for points towards a Cup spot, Torrance said: "I've promised Sergio he's in, whatever he does here. I told him a while ago."
Garcia has come to the Munich event to try to get into the team automatically and has his eye on Phillip Price's 10th place in the Cup standings - the only spot under great threat.
If the young Spaniard does not make it, he will still play his second Ryder Cup.
"Even so, he offered to come here to play," Torrance added, "which is a very nice gesture from one so young. He knows by making it, he might help the team.
"He's exceptional and he's come on by leaps and bounds since the last Ryder Cup. He's won twice in America this year and is number seven in the world."
Asked about the other wild card, Torrance avoided Jasper Parnevik's name, although the captain has said for some time the Swede was favourite for one of his picks.
Torrance said: "If Olly (Jose Maria Olazabal) ran second in the tournament and jumped up to 11th, or Paul Lawrie, or any established Ryder Cup player with bottle did so, it would definitely put the cat among the pigeons.
"There are definitely three or four contenders. But I'm not looking forward to telling people they are not in. I'll have to be blunt and say 'sorry, I'm not going to pick you', and give my reasons. I will be making two very happy."
Parnevik could not have influenced the automatic placings because he was too far down the table, but there is likely to be a ferocious duel for the 10th and last automatic spot in the table.
The golfers occupying places 11 to 23 - Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Andrew Olcorn, Andrew Coltart, Mathias Gronberg, Ian Woosnam, Robert Karlsson, Jose Maria Olazabal, Garcia, Thomas Levet, Lawrie, Warren Bennett and Dean Robertson - could overtake Price if he misses the cut and they earn the 300,000 points on offer for first place in Munich.
Torrance said: "I am very, very excited. I have been in the position a few of them are in and I know what it entails.
"It's a testament to the quality of our Tour now that all the way down to 23rd can still make it.
"I've told them 'stick in, you can still make it.'"
Bernhard Langer can be squeezed out from ninth spot in the table if he misses the cut but the German will be looking to go one better than his second place in Munich behind Thomas Bjorn last year.
Torrance currently knows only seven of his team for certain. In order, they are: Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn, Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie, Pierre Fulke, Lee Westwood and Niclas Fasth. Paul McGinley and Langer are virtually certain to join them but Price is under attack from a host of players.
If he misses the cut Ian Poulter, his closest challenger, can qualify by finishing 22nd. Miguel Angel Jimenez would need fourth place, Andrew Oldcorn, Andrew Coltart, Mathias Gronberg and Woosnam would need to be second and Karlsson, Olazabal, Garcia, Thomas Levet, Lawrie, Warren Bennett and Dean Robertson would have to win.
Torrance knows what they will be going through. In the 1991 German Open, the final qualifying event of that season, he remembers having to finish fifth. "I was coasting, but then double-bogeyed the 17th in the last round and had to make a par four on the last.
"I left my second shot 50 feet short, but knocked the putt stone dead. I was under the cosh knowing what I had to do and it definitely prepared me for the match."
It could come down to something similar this weekend and seems certain to provide a dramatic finish.
