PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON and his European-born US Tour colleagues should no longer have to face any embarrassment or controversy by not returning to Europe and seek to qualify automatically for the Ryder Cup team.

Europe’s Ryder Cup race might yet come down to the final hole at Gleneagles tomorrow – a hole on which England’s Chris Gane scored 17 just seven years ago.

A year-long marathon to make Europe’s Ryder Cup team entered the final few laps at Gleneagles today, but 46-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez did not appear to be feeling the strain.