Ryder wild card looks only option for Garcia

If Sam Torrance was hoping the British Open would ease the Ryder Cup qualifying snarl up, and possibly elevate potential "wild cards", like Spain's Sergio Garcia into automatic places, there was little solace ahead of the showdown against the US at the Belfry in 10 weeks' time.

Indeed, despite 12 European players occupying places in the top 20 at Royal Lytham, the nightmare scenario of none of his favoured picks qualifying automatically looms ever larger.

There are just six weeks - and eight tournaments - to go before Torrance names his two captain's picks at the conclusion of the BMW International in Munich, but the four players the Scot had hoped to play their way into the team are facing uphill battles. With time running out, Bernhard Langer (14th), Jose Maria Olazabal (17th), Garcia (18th) and Jesper Parnevik (34th) need performances similar to that of Niclas Fasth, who has all but played played his win onto the team after his second place finish at Royal Lytham. The Swede jumped from 19th place to sixth in the cup qualifying table.

And a recharged Ian Woosnam has pleaded for a line to be drawn under the British Open blunder that has left him fighting for his Ryder Cup spot. But for the two-stroke penalty he received for discovering an extra club in his bag on the second tee of his final round Woosnam would have sealed a place in Europe's side.

It cost him £218,334 and left him 12th in the cup table rather than fifth. The 43-year-old said last night: "I hope a line can now be drawn in order that we can concentrate on the rest of the season as I try to secure my place in the Ryder Cup."

Woosnam has been appointed Torrance's assistant captain for The Belfry in September but has said he will resign if he qualifies for the team.

Fasth's hand, meanwhile, has been strengthened even more by the fact he has risen 59 places in the world rankings - to a career high 49th position - which has earned him an invite to the US PGA championship in Atlanta, which also counts towards Ryder selection.

And, for good measure, he is almost certain to get into the elite-field $4 million NEC-WGC tournament in Akron the following week, another event with qualifying points on offer.

It is looking increasingly likely that Torrance will have to use his selections to rescue two of his four favoured picks, with the added possibility that the other two - and also Miguel Angel Jimenez, who is 16th in the table - may be involved as spectators unless they manage to accumulate significant points inside the next six weeks.

The remaining counting events for automatic selection are: July 26th-29th - Dutch Open; August 2nd-5th - Scandinavian Masters; August 9th-12th - Wales Open; August 16th-19th - US PGA and North West of Ireland Open; August 23rd-26th - WGC-NEC Invitational and Scottish PGA, and August 30th-September 2nd - BMW International.

Garcia is the only one of the four who appears guaranteed to play if he fails to make the team by his own right. Torrance said: "He has won twice in America and he just has to be in the team. There is no way that he will be left out . . . but I know Sergio still wants to earn his place."

While Langer made a strong case for the other one should he fail to make it on the basis of his form in the United States.

Meanwhile, Darren Clarke has moved to eighth place in the latest world rankings and will play his 11th event in 12 weeks when he competes in the Dutch Open this week, alongside Pβdraig Harrington, Des Smyth, Paul McGinley and David Higgins.