Six European players vie for two places as Luke Donald ponders Ryder Cup options

The Ryder Cup audition enters its final week in Switzerland with the European contenders seeking to impress the panel of judges.

Six players, led by Robert MacIntyre, are in competition for the third automatic qualifying spot from the European Points list.

Outside the DP World Tour loop, PGA Tour regular Matt Fitzpatrick is only a seventh-place finish in the Swiss Alps from securing the final automatic place via the World Points list ahead of Tommy Fleetwood.

In each case all are considered shoo-ins as captain’s picks should they miss out automatically. The real story is which of the young Europeans from Scandinavia and the continent’s northern rim might persuade Luke Donald to take a punt in the same way Zach Johnson chose Sam Burns over Cameron Young and Keegan Bradley.

With Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton automatically qualified and MacIntyre, Fitzpatrick, Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Austria’s PGA Tour star Sepp Straka firmly in the skipper’s plans, those left in the fight are scrapping over two places.

The intensity appears to be bringing the best out of them. Sweden’s big-hitting Ludvig Aberg finished in a tie for fourth alongside MacIntyre at last week’s Czech Masters, Germany’s Yannik Paul was a shot further back, and Victor Perez of France one shot behind him.

All of the above bar Aberg, plus Poland’s Adrian Meronk, Rasmus Hojgaard and Spain’s Adrian Otaegui can claim the final qualifying spot with a win. MacIntyre can do so with third or higher.

As with last week, the pairings in Switzerland are revealing. Aberg is grouped with Ryder Cup vice-captains Eduardo Molinari and Nicolas Colsaerts. MacIntyre, Paul and Meronk – third, fourth and fifth respectively in the points list – will spend the first two rounds together in an obvious shootout.

Ditto sixth, seventh and eighth-placed Otaegui, Perez and Hojgaard. For good measure, Nicolai Hojgaard, twin brother of Rasmus, who finished third last week, goes out in the same group as Fitzpatrick, who is clearly reporting to his captain.

Donald is not blessed with the depth available to Johnson. Burns is a rising star on the PGA Tour, one of a growing number of oven-ready college grads feeding seamlessly into professional golf. What Donald would give to access talent of the calibre of Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Young, Tony Finau or Bradley, all of whom were overlooked by his counterpart.

Among the threads Donald must consider are the consistency of Paul and Meronk, the prodigious hitting of Aberg, the experience of Perez, who has won twice this year, and the cultural and national connectivity of Otaegui with Spanish powerhouse Rahm.

None of these themes are new, and it will take something extraordinary, perhaps, to persuade Donald to rethink his personal selections.

All shall be revealed at Wentworth on Monday when Donald delivers his definite 12.

The pairings in Crans suggest a high regard for Aberg, in whom resides the potential to overpower the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club course, and respect for the European points race with the grouping of MacIntyre, Paul and Meronk.

The points table will not only confirm the final automatic choice, it presents Donald with a way to protect the integrity of the DP World Tour by rewarding the fourth in line on Sunday with a deserved a pick.

Fitzpatrick, a two-time winner of this event, spoke for all in Switzerland when he assessed the importance of the week.

“I can make sure that I’m on that team with a good result,” he said. “That’s what I’ll be focused on. That’s always a goal when it’s a Ryder Cup year. You want to be on that team. You want to be part of it.”

Team Europe latest qualification standings

Q = Qualified. Players in bold and italics are currently in line to play.

Three players from the European points list qualify, followed by the top three on the World points list not already qualified.

European points list

• 1st Rory McIlroy Q (4,033.5)
• 2nd Jon Rahm Q (3,417.23)
• 3rd Robert MacIntyre (1,828.99)
• 4th Yannik Paul (1,702.90)
• 5th Adrian Meronk (1620.59)

World points list

• 1st Rory McIlroy (404.80)
• 2nd Jon Rahm (393.35)
• 3rd Viktor Hovland Q (356.97)
• 4th Tyrrell Hatton (205.57)
• 5th Tommy Fleetwood (186.92)