The Ryder Cup is near – so who's getting in and who will miss out? - Page 2 of 2

Mark: Which player, for both teams, is going to come from nowhere and make a late run for qualification or a surprise pick?

Steve: I’m not too sure that’s going to happen with Europe. There are some titans of European golf requiring a wildcard and I don’t think Bjorn will swerve any of them. There are also a lot of players with recent wins, Knox for example, sitting just outside the points lists who might command a spot if there’s one left over.

Unless it’s someone like Chris Wood, who appears to be running into form, I’m not confident Bjorn will change his plans on the basis of a couple of good weeks. It’s not as if any of the players I’ve listed as wild cards are in terrible form – in the way Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer were two years ago.

Across the pond, however, there’s far more precedent for this sort of thing. Basically, whoever wins a FedEx Cup play-off event or two isn’t in the side should get get their passport ready.

Eddie Pepperell

Alex: If Pepperell wasn’t in need of some time off to sort his wrist out, I’d have said him. What a shame, because I think we can all agree that would be wonderfully entertaining.

As for the American team, there was outrage when Billy Horschel won two FedEx Cup play-off events – including the Tour Championship – and wasn’t on the plane to Gleneagles, so expect that to be rectified if it happens again. I’m struggling to see Webb Simpson cling on to the final qualifying spot he currently occupies, so expect a few guys to make a run at it. I’d like to see Tony Finau in Paris.

Dan: There is absolutely the opportunity for a European to earn a surprise pick because the likes of Thomas Pieters, Cabrera-Bello, Fitzpatrick and Poulter have not done enough to demand inclusion, whether automatically or as wildcards. All four have still got the chance to impress though in the next month and at least one of them, I suspect, will make it to Paris. I’m sure Captain Bjorn would have liked Alexander Levy to make his case but he hasn’t finished in the top 50 of an event since April. Right now, he is unpickable.

The American team looks the more stable to me. I don’t see any surprises there. I expect Tiger Woods to be picked, and Phil Mickelson too, and Matt Kuchar. Probably with Xander Schauffele rounding off the team after his highly impressive runner-up showing at The Open. Bryson DeChambeau will be the man to miss out unless he can overhaul Simpson in the last qualifying spot. I don’t think he will.

Steve: Who’s going to be the high-profile person that doesn’t make each team? I’m thinking Bjorn, Monty, Casey levels of controversy here…

Paul Casey

Alex: As someone whose Ryder Cup memories only go back as far as the late 90s, it’s going to be odd watching a Ryder Cup in which Westwood isn’t playing. If Tiger or Mickelson miss out for whatever reason, then they obviously trump all, but both will get picks.

Dan: I guess it is not beyond the realms that Furyk ignores Mickelson but I can’t see it. I am predicting no startling omissions from the USA team. Poulter seems likely to be the biggest name that Bjorn leaves out.

Mark: I think the Task Force would dictate Tiger and Phil get a run-out and, if you’ve got an in form and healthy Poulter at your disposal, then I think you would be mad to overlook him. The only slight niggle I would have is with Garcia if others show a load of late form and he continues to not do much. One big headline would be to not pick a fellow, in-form Dane in Olesen but I think he’s done enough.

I still find it odd that the likes of Graeme McDowell, Kaymer, Luke Donald, Westwood don’t get a sniff and last time’s hero Pieters is also so far down the pecking order.