Harrington, boosted to a degree by the fact that he and Paul McGinley won the World Cup for Ireland over the Ocean Course in 1997, could only offer a shrug at his predicament.
He said: “I can’t concentrate on controlling something I have not got control over. Whether I win this week to get in? There are too many variables. But there are positives. I like the style of the golf course, that’s for sure.”
Harrington does not have to guess hard to name those to whom Olazabal is likely to hand a pick if they fail to make his team on merit. As it stands, Ian Poulter is in danger of not qualifying, However, the Englishman was outstanding in the last two Ryder Cup matches and he is a winner of two World Match Play titles.
Sergio Garcia may also be in need of a pick but Olazabal spoke in glowing terms of his countryman who, like himself, served Montgomerie as a vice-captain in 2010.
Olazabal said: “He’s a great team player and his spirit is always good. In that regard, I think he’s a great asset to the team. He has the experience and the knowledge. It is true that at the moment his game is a little bit off. But pairing-wise he’s proved in the last few Ryder Cups that he can play with anybody, and he’s done well. That’s very important. If you are looking at the players to be on your team, Sergio would certainly be one of them.”
Barring late withdrawals, the PGA will boast the strongest line-up ever assembled in golf. Since the launch of the rankings in 1986, all the top 100 players have never featured in the same event but the leading 103 are in the 156-strong field at Kiawah.
