Trio chasing Ryder Cup dream

David Howell, Ian Poulter and Phillip Price all have the dream and the hope of playing in the Ryder Cup this September.

But it could be that only one of them does – and this weekend may well have a big say in which of them it is.

The trio lie joint second, a stroke behind France’s Gregory Havret, entering today’s third round of the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond and, with a first prize of £366,660 (€549,000) on offer, the stakes are high indeed.

Poulter, still to have a bogey after two successive 67s, currently stands 11th in the cup standings – the same position he occupied when the qualifying race ended for the last match.

Captain Sam Torrance went for Sergio Garcia and Jesper Parnevik as his two wild cards then, so the Milton Keynes golfer is still chasing a debut.

Howell is uncapped as well, but only one place below Poulter with a mere eight more events to come, the first of them next week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Price was the one who edged Poulter out of the 10th and last automatic spot last time and although he is outside the top 30 at the moment, a win now would put him right into the thick of things.

“I’d really like to play in the match again and I’ve just been waiting to play well again,” said the conqueror of then world world number two Phil Mickelson at The Belfry two years ago.

Poulter commented: “I’ve said all along that if I keep playing steady golf and rolling the putts in I think it will take care of itself in one week.

“But it’s just one of my goals. I could just as easily miss the Ryder Cup, then go win, win, win, win and finish top three in the Order of Merit.

“I think I should be playing in it and if my golf stays in shape I’ll be very happy. I don’t want to think negatively about the Ryder Cup – I don’t go down that road.”

Howell has had nine top-10 finishes since qualifying started last September, but like the other two has yet to win.

“Hopefully I can grasp the chance when it comes,” said the Swindon golfer. “I’m doing all I can in my life to get that little white ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible.

“I’ve just got to trust that I am doing the right things and it will come right for me sooner or later.”

Havret will leap into the cup picture himself if he stays out in front and maybe this is the year of the French on the European Tour.

Christian Cevaer, Philippe Lima and Jean-Francois Remesy have all won in the last three months and Remesy’s victory in the French Open two weeks ago has helped him to seventh in the race.

In May, Havret led the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Germany by two with a round to go – then shot 82. When he resumed today he was trying to forget that and remember instead that he was in a play-off in South Africa in January and third in the Italian Open in May.

He must prepare himself for a challenge from some of the principal stars this week, however.

Former winners Tom Lehman and Thomas Bjorn were in the group only two behind at halfway, Colin Montgomerie only four back and both Ernie Els and Lee Westwood five in arrears.

But Masters champion Phil Mickelson, Open champion Ben Curtis, Darren Clarke, Paul Casey and Justin Rose all missed the cut last night – and for Rose that means he has failed to qualify for the Open just three months after he led the Masters for two days.