Chances running out in Cup race

Captain Colin Montgomerie now knows seven of the 12 players who will represent Europe as they try to win back the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in five weeks' time.

They are Lee Westwood (calf injury permitting), Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher and Francesco Molinari.

But also now certain is that Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Justin Rose cannot all be there - at least one of them will be left out by Montgomerie on Sunday when he names his three wild cards.

Swede Peter Hanson's thrilling play-off win in the Czech Open on Sunday bumped Casey out of the ninth and last automatic qualifying spot with only this week's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles to come.

Casey, Donald and Harrington - ninth, 10th and 18th in the world respectively - could all still have avoided the need for a pick by flying to Scotland. Instead they and Rose have opted for the first of the FedEx Cup play-off series in America. Bags of money on offer, but not a single Ryder Cup point.

Two years ago Casey and Ian Poulter did the same thing and were still handed wild cards by then captain Nick Faldo - he had only two - at the expense of all those, most notably in-form Darren Clarke and cup stalwart Montgomerie, who were at Gleneagles for the final event.

How Montgomerie handles it remains to be seen, but it could be that he omits two of the star quartet rather than just one because Scottish Open champion Edoardo Molinari, brother and World Cup-winning partner of Francesco, needs a wild card too.

The speculation is bound to continue throughout the Johnnie Walker Championship, a tournament which will also decide who takes the last two spots off the points table.

Hanson, who sank a 18-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole to defeat Irishman Peter Lawrie and England's Gary Boyd for the win he needed to move into the top nine, is almost there.

The 32-year-old, lucky to grab the £272,640 cheque after blowing a four-stroke overnight lead with a 74, can only be denied if Simon Dyson wins next weekend and Ross McGowan comes second.