Golf: Rain delays Ryder Cup points chase

The final dash for the line in Europe’s Ryder Cup race was halted by rain in Munich today.

But the first thought on the mind of some of the players affected was not whether they would be able to tee off, but would they finish in time for the England World Cup qualifier at the nearby Olympic Stadium.

The third round of the BMW International Open eventually began after a two-hour delay, but with it still raining heavily and greenkeeping staff continued to work on the saturated course it had all the makings of a long, slow day.

American John Daly led by four overnight from Australian Adam Scott and they were not now due to tee off until just after 3pm local time.

Ten players were still involved in the battle for Ryder Cup places at The Belfry at the end of this month.

With 10th-placed Phillip Price having missed the cut the door was open, but it was a tall order for all those chasing him.

Three of them - his Welsh World Cup partner Ian Woosnam and Scots Andrew Oldcorn and Andrew Coltart - have to finish first or second to earn the points which will take them past Price.

For the other seven - Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia, Robert Karlsson, Thomas Levet, Paul Lawrie, Warren Bennett and Dean Robertson - it is win or bust.

Olazabal lies joint third, Robertson is seventh and Garcia eighth, while although Woosnam and Oldcorn were joint 21st when they resumed today they were only five shots off second place.