McGinley in Wild Card Time

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Paul McGinley will finalise Europe's Ryder Cup team with the addition of his three captain's picks on Tuesday.

McGinley will reveal the additional selections live on Sky Sports News HQ from 12:30pm after a couple of days thinking about his options in the wake of Sunday's Italian Open.

The Irishman already knew eight of his team going in to the final qualifying event in Turin, with the only question mark whether Stephen Gallacher could force his way into the ninth spot ahead of Graeme McDowell.

But the Scot could only manage third, when he needed to finish in the top two, seeing his hopes ended by a sloppy finish to the final round and a grandstand conclusion from Englishman David Howell.

That left McDowell to join world No 1 Rory McIlroy, European No 1 Henrik Stenson, Thomas Bjorn, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Justin Rose and rookies Jamie Donaldson and Victor Dubuisson as automatic qualifiers.

Gallacher is now left to sweat on a place in the team for the Gleneagles spectacular from September 26-28, the event being played a matter of 35 miles from his home on a course he has fond memories of.

He has recorded seven top-10 finishes in 12 appearances and lost a playoff to Tommy Fleetwood in last year's Johnnie Walker Championship.

But the competition for places is strong, something McGinley is delighted with, as experienced campaigners Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood all failed to make the team, as did Francesco Molinari.

McGinley's picks are expected to come from that quintet, with Gallacher the only rookie among them.

Speaking to Sky Sports about Gallacher at the conclusion of the Italian Open, McGinley said: "The gun was to his head but he performed very strongly. All credit to him. It's unfortunate he's come up one shot short of being an automatic in the team.

"This has been the toughest ever Ryder Cup team to make from a European point of view, in terms of points you need to amass to make the team, so he has been up against. And for a rank and file guy from the European Tour, who doesn’t play in America and misses out on a lot of the world ranking points as a result, to perform as well as he does all credit to him.

"His performance this week will very strongly be in his favour when it comes to making the picks but there is a lot of emotion around here at the moment, let’s put a little bit of cold water on it."

Donald and Poulter are still competing in the FedEx Cup playoff events, but Westwood missed out on qualifying for the second of them, the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Difficult decision

McGinley played alongside Westwood in 2002, 2004 and 2006, with Donald in 2004 and 2006 and just once with Poulter (2004) but he was also vice-captain in 2010 and 2012 when all three players helped Europe claim narrow wins at Celtic Manor and Medinah, Poulter playing the starring role in the latter victory.

"There will be some very difficult decisions to be made," McGinley said. "I have been on Tour now for 21 years, I know everyone.

"I've spoke about the bonding I felt with players I have played with, they would walk in the door and we have a sixth sense.

"You can imagine how difficult it's going to be for me if I have to call one of them up and say 'I'm sorry, you're not one of my picks,' I am maybe going with a rookie I don't have any bonding with.

"That's going to be very difficult for me but I am prepared for that. Olly (2012 captain Jose Maria Olazabal) made a wonderful point when people were talking about is he going to pick a player because you like or don't like them, and he said this is the Ryder Cup. I'm here to win the Ryder Cup.

"Personal things go out of the window and that's what it will be for me. I am prepared for the tough decisions, I am not afraid to make those."

Europe's Ryder Cup Team

Rory McIlroy

Henrik Stenson

Victor Dubuisson

Jamie Donaldson

Sergio Garcia

Justin Rose

Martin Kaymer

Thomas Bjorn

Graeme McDowell

Plus THREE wildcard picks

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Rory Finishes Fifth in Boston

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Rory McIlroy failed to covert final round contention into a title win. And as McIlroy, the world number one, closed out the Deutsche Bank championship with a 70 that ultimately left him four shots adrift in tied-fifth position, 29-year-old American Chris Kirk claimed the biggest title of his career and also moved to the top of the FedEx Cup rankings.

Kirk demonstrated a superb ability to scramble and shot a free closing round 66 for a total of 269, 15-under-par.

Another member of that US team at RCD also played his part in the final round drama, as Billy Horschel stood in the middle of the 18th fairway requiring a birdie to force a play-off and an eagle to win.

However, Horschel caught his approach shot heavy and watched in disbelief as his ball came up in the waste hazard to signal the end of his ambition.

It proved to be a costly second shot to the 18th, as Horschel bogeyed the final hole to drop back into a share of second place with Geoff Ogilvy and Russell Henley on 271.

“It is always great to play well on a big stage like that, I love being in that kind of an environment ..... playing with [McIlroy] definitely heightens my level of focus,” said Kirk. The win catapulted Kirk to the top of the FedEx Cup and also put him in line for a Ryder Cup pick from Tom Watson.

“I have said all along I would love to be a part of the team and get a pick. I have put myself in contention for one, we will just have to wait to see what happens,” said Kirk.

McIlroy – who finished with a 70 for a total of 273, 11-under – failed to get any momentum going on the front nine, where a birdie on the drivable Par 4 fourth hole was followed by back-to-back bogeys.

On the fifth, he was twice in rough and, on the difficult sixth he got too greedy from a bunker and his ball hit the lip of the bunker and came back to rest at his feet. When McIlroy birdied the seventh and eighth to move to 11-under, it appeared as if the Ulster man was ready to finally make his move. It didn’t happen.

Just as his name appeared towards the top of the leaderboard, McIlroy fell backwards with bogeys on the 10th (when in rough off the tee) and the 12th, where he missed the green with his approach shot. McIlroy had to wait until the 16th, where he hit his tee shot to 12 inches, to get back on the birdie train.

He kept the best until the end, hitting a huge 347 yards drive off the 18th tee and then hitting his approach from 180 yards to eight feet.

The birdie at least moved McIlroy to a share of fifth, sufficient to keep him in second place in the FedEx Cup standings and very much in contention for the $10 million bonus that awaits the champion after the Tour Championship.

Before heading out, McIlroy: “I think this golf course suits a longer hitter. I am comfortable around this course, there’s a big Irish community in Boston who come out to support me.”

Two players hoping to catch the eye of European captain Paul McGinley showed decent form: Ian Poulter finished with a 66 for 277, seven under, for a share of 23rd place, while Luke Donald closed with a 67 for level par 284, in tied-57th.

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Lagergren Wins at Galgorm

European Tour

Joakim Lagergren claimed his maiden European Challenge Tour title at the Northern Ireland Open Challenge in association with Maui Jim Sunglasses after the Swede produced a grandstand finish, holing an eight foot clutch putt at the last for a birdie and a one-stroke victory.

While the 22 year old held a six shot lead heading into the final round at the packed Galgorm Castle, where crowds of over 34,000 flocked through the gates all week, it was certainly not plain sailing as he bogeyed two of the first three holes to open the door for the chasing pack.

Frenchman Adrian Bernadet duly obliged and launched a relentless early challenge for the title with five birdies on the front nine taking him into a share of the lead as Lagergren reached the turn. 

A birdie for the Stockholm player at the tenth edged him one clear again but he suffered a rocky finish, with bogeys either side of a birdie at the 16th meaning he stepped onto the 18th tee tied for the lead and needing to make a gain to avoid a play-off and claim the win.

When his second shot found the second cut of rough at the right edge of the green, he had to do it the hard way but he did so with nerveless efficiency, chipping to eight feet before sinking the putt under the most intense pressure to roars of jubilation from the crowds that packed the grandstand and surrounded the green.

“This means a lot to me,” said Lagergen, who signed for a one over par final round 72 for a 13 under total. “I’m so proud and I’m so happy. I got a little bit stressed, I have to say. After nine holes I was tied for the lead with Adrian and then I knew I had to really get going and play some good golf.

“I played a little bit better on the back nine, not as good as I wanted to but obviously it was enough so I'm happy with that.

“I got the information on the 18th fairway that I needed birdie but I was going for it in two anyway. I hit a three wood off the tee and then I had a three wood in and it was a great chip and a great putt.

“That chip was probably my best shot of the week because it was a tough lie and I don’t think I could have done any better with it.

“When the putt dropped it was a big relief. It almost felt like I couldn’t go out and win the tournament on the final day, I could only lose it. I had a six shot lead and being tied going into the last, I was nervous, I really was.

“I had to make birdie at the last so I’m really proud of myself, I did a great job over the last three holes with two birdies.”

Lagergren, who moved from 117th to 35th in the Challenge Tour Rankings, mentioned prior to his final round that he felt a special affinity with the knowledgeable and supportive Northern Irish crowds, many of whom followed him all week as he played his opening two rounds with local amateur prospect Dermot McElroy.

With 13,180 coming out in the perfect conditions on the final day, Lagergren believes the support of the crowds helped lift him to victory.

“The crowds have been great this week,” he said. “The last couple of holes it was like a European Tour tournament, for sure. 

“When I came off the tee at the 18th there were just people everywhere, from where I was standing, 500 metres in front of me to up around the green and in the grandstand. It was an incredible image and one I’m going to keep in my mind for a long time.

“There were a lot of people and it was so fun to play for them. They’ve been cheering me on and it’s been great.

“I needed this win because I haven’t been playing great this season and it’s great for the confidence. It feels like I can almost touch my goals for the season now, whereas before I almost couldn’t see them.”

Bernadet, meanwhile, collected his second runner-up finish of the season – his first coming at the season-opening Barclays Kenya Open in March – after a five under 66 left him on 12 under par and the 29 year old moved to 16th in the Rankings.

His compatriot Jerome Lando Casanova shared third place on 11 under par with Germany's Bernd Ritthammer while Englishmen Steven Brown, Kenneth Ferrie and Charlie Ford were joined in fifth place by South Africa’s Brandon Stone, on ten under.

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Wonderbar McIlroy Hits 64

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Rory McIlroy stormed up the third-round leaderboard at the Deutsche Bank Championship with a flawless seven-under 64 on Sunday.

The in-form McIlroy collected seven birdies to reach 10-under-par overall, two behind leader Russell Henley.

Henley came home in 31 shots for a 65 and is one ahead of his fellow American Billy Horschel (67) heading into Monday's final round at TPC Boston in the second event of the FedEx Cup play-off series.

American Chris Kirk (64) and Australia's Jason Day (69) sit a stroke further back, alongside McIlroy, on a packed leaderboard featuring 14 players within five of the lead.

McIlroy made an excellent start with birdies at two and three before driving a 132-yard approach to nine feet at the seventh, with a nerveless putt moving him to three under for his round.

Two more excellent up and downs at the 13th and 15th left him with simple putts, while he was inches away from acing the 16th, consoling himself by tapping in for his seventh birdie of the day.

He passed up a chance to close his round with a flourish after finding the rough with his approach on his final hole, but he saved par and will now fancy his chances heading into Monday's final round.

McIlroy has won three of his last four tournaments heading into Boston, having triumphed at the Open Championship, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the US PGA Championship in recent weeks.

Speaking after his round, he said on Sky Sports 4: "I converted some more of the chances that I gave myself today. I was pretty frustrated coming off the golf course in the last couple of days because I felt like I left a lot of shots out there.

"Even today, I felt like I might have left a couple out there, especially on the last. But I'm happy with how I converted those chances and I'm going to need to do the same tomorrow if I'm going to win."

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McIlroy's Labor Day in Boston

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Rory McIlroy continued second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship showing some inconsistency as Australian Jason Day continued his form to tie American Ryan Palmer for the lead in Boston.

Despite an unexpected bogey on his final hole, Day carded a three-under-par 68 in fluctuating afternoon winds while Palmer shot a 71 in the morning at the TPC Boston.

They finished level at eight-under 134, one stroke ahead of Americans Matt Kuchar (66) and Billy Horschel (66) on a tightly-bunched leaderboard.

McIlroy, slowed by a double-bogey at the par-four 14th where his approach shot bounded 30 yards over the green into a hazard, fired a 69 to trail the leaders by five shots.

Day, the world number seven whose quest this year to win a first Major title was ruined by a thumb injury, maintained the red-hot form he displayed last week to tie for second in the first of the PGA Tour’s four FedExCup play-off events.

“To be in contention last week and (again) this week goes to show the hard work I’ve put in the last four or five weeks is definitely paying off,” Day told reporters.

Day’s round was a tale of two halves. He was five under on the front nine but two over coming home as the swirling wind made it difficult to judge club selection.

The Australian had visions of a birdie at the par-five 18th when he had an iron in his hands for his second shot, only to drop a stroke after firing his approach over the green and taking four more shots to hole out.

“I made the front nine look very easy today (and) made the back nine look very hard, but overall I’m very happy with how I’ve played the last couple of days,” Day said.

Palmer, meanwhile, says his goal over the final two rounds was to play well enough to “make it hard on Tom Watson”.

He was referring to the US Ryder Cup captain, who on Tuesday will announce his three wildcard selections to complete the 12-man team to take on holders Europe at Gleneagles in Scotland next month.

“I’m proud of the way I hung in today. I had to grind it out,” said Palmer. “It could have got away pretty fast (but I) stayed patient, stayed calm and salvaged even par.”

A total of 80 players made the cut, which fell at three-over 145, and several Americans with hopes of earning a late Ryder Cup spot bowed out early, including Brendon Todd,Kevin Na and 2012 FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker.

The top 70 players on the FedExCup points list after the Deutsche Bank Championship advance to next week’s BMW Championship in Englewood, Colorado where the leading 30 will qualify for the Tour Championship finale in Atlanta.

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