Cup uncertainty for Chopra

Swedish golfer Daniel Chopra, who took a two-shot lead into the third round of the Western Open in America today, may not be eligible for the Ryder Cup after all.

Chopra’s name appears at 49th on the current European world list, from which the first five members of Ian Woosnam’s side will be chosen – but with 60 points on offer to the winner at Cog Hill he could move right in contention.

Or so he might have thought.

However, after enquiries by PA Sport today into the 32-year-old’s eligibility for September match at the K Club near Dublin the European tour are to study the position.

Keith Waters, the tour’s director of international policy, said: “The chances are that he should not be on the list.

“It’s probably a mistake, but we need to double and triple-check this and that will be done on Monday.”

Chopra is a former European tour member but never won on the circuit and therefore does not come into the same category as the likes of fellow US Tour players Justin Rose, Jesper Parnevik and Carl Pettersson.

They have all rejoined the European tour as past winners and appear on the Ryder Cup table.

Chopra’s only victories came on the “second division” Challenge Tour. The administrative error seems to be that he was eligible for Ryder Cup points last season when qualifying started in September, but his membership then expired and he should have come off the list when the new season began.

The Orlando-based golfer was born in Stockholm to a Swedish mother and Indian father but moved to India at age seven and in recent years has made most of his rare appearances on the European tour in Asia.

His only tour event actually in Europe in the last five years was the Open at St Andrews last July – and he missed the halfway cut.

Chopra is chasing his first US Tour victory this weekend, his best finish so far being a fourth-place finish in the 2004 Deutsche Bank Championship.

He improved from 108th to 90th on their money list last year and is currently 79th after two top 10 finishes.

Chopra had a chance to win the Ford Championship in Florida in March – but playing with Tiger Woods in the final group on the final day he slumped to a 77.

After two opening rounds of 66 at Cog Hill, he was 10 under – with Vijay Singh his nearest challenger at eight under.