WHERE ONCE an appearance in the Johnnie Walker championship at Gleneagles – the final counting event for Europe’s Ryder Cup team – was considered sacrosanct for any player who’d yet to book a ticket to Celtic Manor, team captain Colin Montgomerie yesterday rowed back on that hard-nosed stance and effectively gave the green light to a number of players, among them Pádraig Harrington, to bypass the event.

As things stand, no fewer than three European players ranked inside the world’s top-20 – Paul Casey, Justin Rose and Harrington – are not assured of an automatic place and would require a ‘wild card’ pick to make the team.

Adding to the intrigue is that all three have intimated they will compete in the Barclays Championship, the first of the US Tour’s FedEx Cup season-ending series, rather than travel back across the Atlantic to Gleneagles.

But, in an about-turn on a stance taken earlier this season, where Montgomerie stated he expected anyone not qualified but in contention for an automatic place to be present in Gleneagles, the European captain – in a press conference at Whistling Straits – accepted that European players who’d qualified for the FedEx Cup were entitled to pursue that avenue.

“What’s happened is a number of my potential candidates are going to be playing over here, as opposed to at Gleneagles,” said Montgomerie

“I accept that the FedEx Cup series, and the way they have played and how they have played, has given them the opportunity to do very well within the series.

“I think it’s a big reason why the American team did so well, two years ago at Valhalla, in that it’s keeping the Americans playing throughout this time between the US PGA and the Ryder Cup.

“If it’s helping the Americans play well, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t help us as well. It won’t affect them either way if they don’t happen to be playing in Gleneagles,” said Montgomerie.

Of course, Harrington – who is just one place outside an automatic qualifying spot heading into the PGA – as well as Casey and Rose could book their places by right with a strong, top-three finish here.

But at least Montgomerie’s comments have eased any pangs they might have felt about missing Gleneagles and allows them the chance to get on with playing the game without second guessing what their captain will do.

Montgomerie added that it was “a nice headache to have” in that so many players ranked so highly in the world were in the mix for a ‘wild card’.

“It’s the first time a European captain has had such a strong team, if you like, that haven’t quite qualified as yet . . I’ll be discussing it with my three vice-captains and going through every scenario.”