Harrington omission on the cards

Two years ago the three-time major champion found out he had been given a wild-card pick by then captain Colin Montgomerie while he was playing his final round at Bethpage State Park.

This time he went in knowing even a victory may not be enough after Jose Maria Olazabal, who will captain the European team at Medinah Country Club in a month’s time, gave a gloomy pronouncement about his prospects.

It looked like Harrington might claim that victory when he opened with a seven-under-par round of 64 on Thursday but two 75s ended his hopes, although he did at least finish with a 68, including a birdie on the 18th.

Harrington has not entirely written off his chances and will be listening to the announcement today, but he clearly is not expecting his name to be among the chosen 12.

The 40-year-old said: “It will be easier to talk about it after tomorrow.

“I don’t want to give an opinion on not making it or anything like that until it officially happens.

“I’ve played six, I’ve won four out of six, I’d dearly love to be there,” he said.

Much has been made of Harrington’s relationship with Olazabal, which was soured by a spat at the 2003 Seve Trophy, but the Irishman is confident that will not play any part in the selection.

He said: “The one thing I don’t think anyone could accuse Jose of is not being competitive.

“He would want to have the best team there. It means more to Jose to win than anything else so I can’t see it having any effect whatsoever.

“I’ve got a better relationship than you think with him, but even if I had no relationship with him I think he’d still want to pick the 12 best guys.”

Harrington’s cause was certainly not helped, though, by Nicolas Colsaerts’s failure to finish in the top two at Gleneagles yesterday and therefore guarantee himself an automatic spot.

The feeling was Harrington had a better chance of being preferred to out-of-form German Martin Kaymer, who would have dropped out, than Belgian Colsaerts.

The Irishman, meanwhile, felt the exceptionally fast conditions at Bethpage on days two and three may have been the final nail in his coffin.

He said: “I think it might have hurt my cause. When you’re out of sight from home, and I ended up playing probably the same golf all four days and it looks like I’ve played poorly day two and three.

“Two 75s on the card doesn’t look very good when you’re trying to show form but I’m playing well, what more can I do? I’m happy with that anyway. I’d rather be playing badly and picked but I’m happy that I’m playing well.”

The first wild card is almost certain to be given to England’s Ian Poulter and, although he has not yet been told anything by Olazabal, he will not be sweating as he awaits the Spaniard’s phone call.

The 36-year-old said: “I’m feeling fairly relaxed about the situation. Obviously it’s not done until it’s done but I won’t lose any sleep tonight.

“Hand on heart I’ve not been told anything. That would be disrespectful to everybody else and that would never be the case. Olazabal’s a true professional.

“I would presume I’ll get a call at some point. I’m sure he’ll call me before announcing the selection but whether that’s tonight or tomorrow morning, I don’t know.”

Paul Lawrie gave Europe’s Ryder Cup team yet another boost yesterday by winning on home soil for the third time in his career – and making it look easy.

The United States were looking strong favourites for the match until Rory McIlroy had his runaway eight-shot win at the USPGA Championship a fortnight ago.

Sergio Garcia then won in the States for the first time in four years last Monday and now Lawrie has marched impressively to a four-stroke success.

One ahead overnight, the 43-year-old from Aberdeen shot a closing 68 to beat Australian Brett Rumford by four with a 16-under-par total of 272.

It could take him to his highest ever position on the world rankings when they are updated today – and it certainly sends his confidence sky-high as he heads towards his first appearance in the Ryder Cup since 1999.

That was the year he won The Open at Carnoustie and two years later he was the Dunhill Links champion at St Andrews.

“I feel calmer in Scotland for some reason – it’s weird – and I play some of my best golf too,” Lawrie said.

He admitted the pressure of trying to secure his return to the European team had affected him in recent months, but he came into the tournament knowing his place was safe. “I felt better – cooler – and things didn’t bother me.”

His lead went from one to two when playing partner Romain Wattel bogeyed the first and he never allowed anyone to get closer than that all day.

Colsaerts never looked like making the climb he required from 13th place overnight once he ran up a bogey six at the long second.

Europe’s biggest hitter last season and this would have qualified with a 66, but shot 72.

The main worry for him then was that Rafa Cabrera Bello might win and go ahead of him on the points table, but the Spaniard finished joint 10th and his wild card hopes, while still alive, appear slim.

“It’s been a long summer,” said Colsaerts. “I’ve only taken one week off in the last nine weeks.

“It was difficult to play the tournament just like any other one. There was always somebody to bring the Ryder Cup subject up.

“I think I’ve done everything I could to put myself in this position.”

Asked whom he thought was in the battle for the last two spots he replied: “I see Poulter and myself!”

And if he does not get the nod?

“I would feel very disappointed because I gave my heart out. I just don’t see a bad ending of this story.”

Rumford’s 68 pushed Frenchman Wattel, Swede Fredrik Andersson Hed and Dutchman Maarten Lafeber into joint third.