After the 'Miracle at Medinah' in 2012, we are just 105 days from seeing Europe begin their attempt to defend the Ryder Cup against USA at Scotland's Gleneagles course.
Europe's remarkable fightback on the final day in Illnois captured the imagination of those in attendance and who watched around the world, and ahead of the 40th staging of the competition in September, each eligible player on the European and PGA Tour is trying to work themselves into contention for a place on either Paul McGinley or Tom Watson's side.
A number of players have already assured themselves of a chance of representing their respective team, but with three Major tournaments to come before the cut-off point on August 31, all is to play for over the next two-and-a-half months.
Below, Sports Mole explains the qualification criteria put in place for each side, while providing an up-to-date list of the current standings.
Europe:
The European side will be formed through a variety of qualification lists with the aim of rewarding players who are in form and who have performed on both tours.
Four of the 12-man team will come from the players who have accumulated the most points on the European list, while the top five players in the Ryder Cup world points standings who don't feature in the top four of the previous list will be handed a place in the side.
When nine players have been confirmed at the end of August, captain Paul McGinley will decide on three wildcards before the start of the competition on September 26.
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European points list
1. Victor Dubuisson - 2,427,714.81
2. Thomas Bjorn - 2,281,181.94
3. Jamie Donaldson - 2,204,898.77
4. Henrik Stenson - 1,976,067.23
5. Ian Poulter - 1,817,816.47
6. Rory McIlroy - 1,712,191.24
7. Joost Luiten - 1,512,945.80
8. Miguel Angel Jimenez - 1,491,178.33
9. Stephen Gallacher - 1,261,350.20
10. Gonzalo Fdez-Castano - 1,261,024.46
World points list
1. Rory McIlroy - 247.79
2. Sergio Garcia - 235.86
3. Luke Donald - 156.78
4. Justin Rose - 145.43
5. Martin Kaymer - 140.77
6. Ian Poulter - 139.68
7. Miguel Angel Jimenez - 137.44
8. Stephen Gallacher - 131.15
9. Joost Luiten - 119.96
10. Francesco Molinari - 113.66
The above standings indicate that Frenchman Victor Dubuisson, who finished runner-up at the Accenture Matchplay at the start of the year, Thomas Bjorn, Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia have all but secured their place in the team.
Welshman Jamie Donaldson effectively needs one big display at a Major tournament to seal his spot, but with just over 10 weeks left until the deadline, the remaining three positions remain up for grabs.
USA:
Unlike their opponents, Team USA is formed from the nine players that have accumulated the most points from tournaments from the end of The Masters in 2013.
Players will pick up points from all of the Major tournaments in 2013 and 2014, while the same rules apply for the regular PGA Tour tournaments spanning from October 7, 2013 to August 10, 2014.
As with Europe, Tom Watson will proceed to select three wildcards once the first nine members of his team have been determined.
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Points list
1. Bubba Watson - 6,704.656
2. Jimmy Walker - 4,956.075
3. Matt Kuchar - 4,370.829
4. Jordan Speith - 4,186.105
5. Dustin Johnson - 4,159.582
6. Jim Furyk - 3,989.476
7. Jason Dufner - 3,466.285
8. Patrick Reed - 3,038.426
9. Phil Mickelson - 2,975.910
10. Chris Kirk - 2,901.553
11. Zach Johnson - 2,813.070
12. Harris English - 2,717.715
13. Webb Simpson - 2,545.437
14. Brendon Todd - 2,477.223
15. Kevin Na - 2,422.148
After winning the 2014 Masters, Bubba Watson is certain of a place at Gleneagles, while the players currently placed between second and sixth are almost there providing that they can perform solidly over the upcoming tournaments.
However, like with Europe, three places appear to be available to the current incumbents and the chasing pack, and Tom Watson could have some big decisions to make when it comes to selecting his wildcards.
Darren Plant
