Karlsson closes in on Ryder Cup dream

SEVEN years after being overlooked for a Ryder Cup wild card, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson yesterday took a massive step towards an automatic place in the European team.

Karlsson claimed his second European Tour title in two months at the Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship to move into seventh in the standings with just five weeks remaining before the team is finalised.

The 36-year-old fired a closing 67 for a 25-under-par total of 263 at Gut Kaden and a four-shot victory over playing partner Lee Westwood — who birdied three of the last four holes in his 69 — and 21-year-old South African Charl Schwartzel (65).

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell celebrated his 27th birthday with a closing 65 to share fourth with world number five Retief Goosen, Argentina’s Andres Romero and Italy’s Emanuele Canonica.

Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam could only manage a closing 72 for a share of 11th place.

Karlsson came agonisingly close to making the team in 1999, finishing 11th in the standings and ninth in the final counting event in Munich before being overlooked for a wild card by captain Mark James.

He admitted during his Wales Open victory in June it was “heartbreaking” and insisted on not looking ahead to the contest at The K Club in September.

“It will be fantastic to be in the team but that’s a bonus for playing well,” he said. “Come September that will be something to think about.

“But right now there are more tournaments to come and I think I’ve got to start to understand that I’ve won this one first before the Ryder Cup.”

Karlsson could even afford the luxury of losing a ball on the 18th to run up a double-bogey six.

Westwood, who moved to 21st in the cup standings with his best finish this season, said: “Even after the fourth hole I felt like I had a chance, especially when I birdied the 10th to get within three shots.

“But then Robert hit two great shots into the 11th for birdie and I three-putted the 12th, so that was it.”

McDowell gave his slim Ryder Cup chances a boost with two rounds of 65 over the weekend but will not chase more points over the next two weeks, opting instead for a much-needed rest.

“That’s a nice little birthday present but it’s not going to get me rushing to Sweden (for the Scandinavian Masters),” said McDowell, who led after the first round of the Open last week before fading to 61st.

“I slept well on Friday after making the cut and had a nice weekend. I’ve not been on top of my mental game and not firing on all cylinders at the weekend. Knowing I had time off made me relax and take the pressure off. I’ve made mistakes with my schedule this year, playing too much, and I’m not going to do that again.”