Key questions answered as race for a place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team hots up

Captain Luke Donald will be able to make six personal selections.

With less than six weeks remaining to qualify, the race for a spot in Europe’s Ryder Cup team is hotting up.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the issues which will need resolving before early September.

How does qualification work?

Three players will qualify from the European Points List – which is based on performances on the DP World Tour – and three qualify from the World Points List, based on world ranking points won during the qualifying period. Captain Luke Donald will be able to make six personal selections.

How long have players got left?

England's Jordan Smith lines up a putt at Galgorm Castle Golf Club — Next month’s ISPS HANDA World Invitational is the first of the final three qualifying events for the Ryder Cup (Peter Morrison/PA)

Who is likely to gain automatic spots?

Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy will be the European team’s key players at this year’s Ryder Cup (Adam Davy/PA)

How will Donald choose his captain’s picks?

The number was changed from three to six this year to give the captain more flexibility to pick players in form in the final couple of months. But form will be only one factor as after losing so heavily at Whistling Straits two years ago, the team is now without a number of vastly-experienced players as the quartet of Sergio Garcia – the Ryder Cup’s record points scorer – Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey are all missing due to their defection to LIV Golf.

So, who is in Donald’s thoughts?

Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald speaks with Germany’s Yannik Paul — Germany’s Yannick Paul (left) is on the fringes of qualification for Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald’s team (Peter Byrne/PA)