It's disappointing because I'd love to play in the Ryder Cup Swedish star Freddie Jacobson

Many top golfers are set to miss out on next year's event in Ireland because they will not play the required 11 events for European Tour membership.

Now Jacobson, who is one of those likely to miss out along with Justin Rose, wants the 11-event rule ditched.

"Isn't the match Europe against America? It's not the European Tour against America," said the Swede.

Jacobson was unlucky to miss out on a debut last year, narrowly failing to qualify automatically and then losing out to Luke Donald even though he was the fifth highest European at 26th in the world rankings at the time.

This year, he has played just five European-counting events, concentrating instead - as Rose, Phillip Price, Jesper Parnevik, Alex Cejka and Greg Owen have done - on the US Tour.

"I've another child on the way in January and I need to focus on America and be with my family," said Jacobson.

"It's disappointing because I'd love to play in the Ryder Cup, but I can't see myself changing everything for one week."

Those players who are not going to play at least 11 European Tour events will not be included in world ranking or European money list points tables when they start in two weeks' time.

Hopefully for the tour's sake the 11 will come down Freddie Jacobson

And that means Jacobson and co are unlikely to be picked for the 2006 Ryder Cup, which takes place at the K Club in County Kildare.

European Tour chiefs have already made one change to benefit those who play their golf in America.

In the run-up to last year's match at Oakland Hills, they announced that five of the automatic qualifiers would come from the world rankings rather than all 10 from the European Order of Merit. However, the 11-event rule was kept in.

"Hopefully for the tour's sake the 11 will come down. Surely it would be better for the tour to keep some of the players over here in the States as members," added Jacobson.