Casey pays the price as Monty produces a surprise

Justin Rose was the other household name to miss out as Montgomerie completed his 12-man line-up by selecting three-time major winner Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald for the match which takes place from October 1-3.

Casey was last night competing in the US PGA Tour's lucrative FedEx Cup play-offs in New York alongside Harrington, Donald and Rose, all four of whom had not done enough to qualify for the team and were content to leave their Ryder Cup fate in the hands of the captain.

Montgomerie asked them all to play at the final qualifying event at Gleneagles and they all turned him down, but the Scot, who was critical of Ian Poulter for doing the same two years ago, insisted that his job was to pick the strongest side.

He insisted that world No 21 Edoardo Molinari did not have to win the Johnnie Walker Championship to force his way into the team but the manner of the young Italian's victory earlier in the day was clearly a contributing factor to his inclusion.

"What can you say about today's performance?" said Montgomerie of a 29-year-old who won the Challenge Tour last year and will line up alongside his brother Francesco as the first siblings to play in the match since 1963.

"I don't think I've seen a finish of that quality, under that sort of pressure, by anyone in my 25 years on Tour.

"All credit goes to him, having to come here and win and join his brother. All credit to the three players. We have a fabulously strong 12-man team."

The Molinari brothers won the World Cup for Italy last November and will form a formidable partnership in the fourballs and foursomes at Celtic Manor.

Edoardo blew Montgomerie away by winning the tournament yesterday with three closing birdies and said: "I knew if I won I could force Monty and luckily I did."

He had boasted earlier in the week, in a statement designed to grab Montgomerie's attention, that he and his brother would go undefeated as a pairing if they got the chance to play alongside each other at Celtic Manor.

And one man who will be keen to ensure he stays true to his promise will be Casey.

The 10-time winner on Tour played significant roles in Europe's victories in 2004 and 2006 – when he recorded a hole-in-one – but after earning a wildcard two years ago having again opted to play in America rather than on his home continent, he contributed only two half points from three matches.

Nevertheless, he is a strong matchplay competitor whose fierce instincts will be missed. The 33-year-old won the World Matchplay at Wentworth in 2006 and was a finalist in the last two WGC-Accenture Matchplay Championships in Arizona.

"Paul Casey will play in the Ryder Cup again and again," said Montgomerie, who was keen not to dwell on the players he omitted and re-iterated that he would not want to change a qualifying system that saw one of the world's top 10 not qualify.

"I feel sorry for him and for Justin Rose, who won twice in the States this year.

"It's a very brave decision, it's a very strong decision – and it's one I hope will regain the Ryder Cup.

"We have an embarrassment of riches and I've had to leave out world-class stars, and Justin Rose and Paul Casey are those world-class stars.

"But what Edoardo did today was completely incredible and shows he's the type of player we need to regain the Ryder Cup."

Montgomerie changed the qualifying system in the wake of Europe's heavy defeat at Valhalla in 2008, increasing his wildcard picks from two to three.

Five players then qualified from the European points list and four from the world points list over a qualifying period that spanned 51 weeks. Had it been the other way around, Donald would have qualified automatically and Peter Hanson – whose qualification as the fifth best player on the European list was confirmed at Gleneagles along with Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Yorkshire's Simon Dyson had been in the running for much of the campaign and arrived at Gleneagles needing a win to stand any chance of qualifying, but after figuring for much of the week the 32-year-old finished a creditable, but ultimately unsuccessful, sixth.

Donald returns to the team after he was forced to withdraw from the 2008 running because of a wrist injury. He did more than his fellow FedEx four when he made big in-roads into the European points race by finishing in the top three in successive tournaments earlier in the summer, which included a victory at the Madrid Masters.

"Donald coming to Europe, to play at Celtic Manor and win in Madrid, did not affect my decision at all," said Montgomerie, more by way of suggesting he had not punished Casey and Rose for not doing so.

"Our decision is based on 14 and a half points."

Of those who were not sweating on ranking points or Montgomerie's goodwill, is a delicious mix of experience and youth in the nine men who had already secured their Cup places.

At the top of the pile is Lee Westwood, a veteran of the last six Ryder Cups with the only doubt being how quickly he overcomes a calf injury that ruled the world No 3 out of the PGA Championship earlier this month.

Ian Poulter makes his third appearance but first on home territory. The colourful Englishman showed the value of a wildcard pick at Valhalla two years ago when he was Europe's top points scorer.

Graeme McDowell earns only his second cap but as a recently-crowned major champion the expectation on his shoulders will be high.

In Rory McIlroy he has a compatriot and potential playing partner with whom he should be able to forge a formidable foursomes and fourballs relationship with.

McIlroy is one of six rookies on Montgomerie's team and just last year showed a lack of respect to the tournament that sets pulses racing like no other with some ill-advised comments, but is the kind of character to let his play do the talking when he walks on the first tee.

Martin Kaymer is also a debutant but as in recent years where European rookies had low world rankings, the new PGA champion's 13th position emphasises the strength of the team this year. Englishman Ross Fisher also makes his Ryder Cup bow.

US captain Corey Pavin names his four wildcard picks next week.

Molinari's late heroics at Gleneagles edged out Australian Brett Rumford while Jamie Donaldson and Francesco Molinari tied Jimenez for third.

THE EUROPEAN RYDER CUP TEAM

Lee Westwood

Age: 37

Nationality: England

World Ranking: 3

Cup record: Played: 6 Matches: 29 Won: 14

Halved: 5 Points: 16.5

Rory McIlroy

Age: 21

Nationality: Northern Ireland

World Rank: 7

Cup record: Debut

Martin Kaymer

Age: 25

Nationality: Germany

World Rank: 5

Cup record: Debut

Graeme McDowell

Age: 31

Nationality: Northern Ireland

World Rank: 13

Cup record: P: 1 M: 4 W: 2

L: 1 H: 1 Pts: 2.5

Ian Poulter

Age: 34

Nationality: England

World Rank: 11

Cup record: P: 2 M: 7 W: 5

L: 2 H: 0 Pts: 5

Ross Fisher

Age: 29

Nationality: England

World Rank: 28

Cup record: Debut

Francesco Molinari

Age: 27

Nationality: Italy

World Rank: 38

Cup record: Debut

Miguel Angel Jimenez

Age: 46

Nationality: Spain

World Rank: 39

Cup record: P: 3 W: 2 L: 7

H: 3 Pts 3.5

Peter Hanson

Age: 32

Nationality: Sweden

World Rank: 40

Cup record: Debut

Padraig Harrington

Age: 38

Nationality: Republic of Ireland

World Rank: 18

Cup record: P: 5 W: 7 L: 11

H: 3 Pts: 8.5

Luke Donald

Age: 32

Nationality: England

World Rank: 10

Cup record: P: 2 W: 5 L: 1

H: 1 Pts: 5.5

Edoardo Molinari

Age: 29

Nationality: Italy

World Rank: 21

Cup record: Debut