BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | US Open | Euro flops keep Torrance guessing

Poor performances by Europe's top golfers at the US Open have created more uncertainty over the European Ryder Cup team.

Captain Sam Torrance had been hoping his best players would shine at Southern Hills in Oklahoma.

But the displays of Colin Montgomerie, Sergio Garcia, Nick Faldo and Jesper Parnevik have left them all outside of the top 10 in the race for Cup places.

Unless they shape up in the 13 remaining qualifying events, three of them will not face the Americans at The Belfry in September.

From a European perspective, the second Major of the year worked out best for Andrew Oldcorn and Paul McGinley because they did not play.

The failures of Montgomerie, Garcia, Faldo and Parnevik have kept Oldcorn and McGinley on course for Cup debuts.

Worst showing

Garcia's crash from equal third with a round to play to joint 12th after a dismal closing 77 lifted him only two places to 14th in the standings.

Montgomerie's 52nd place, his worst showing in 10 US Opens, keeps him at 12th, while Faldo remains 19th after managing only a 16-over-par total for 72nd spot.

Sergio Garcia reacts after missing a shot during the final round
Garcia began well but finished in 12th
Langer, who has had a second, two thirds and a sixth on the US Tour this year, is still outside the top 20 and Parnevik, who won in Florida in March, is outside the top 50.

The only change in the top 10 was Mathias Gronberg replacing fellow Swede Robert Karlsson at 10th.

He did not exactly do it in style, though, trailing in joint 74th of the 79 players who made the halfway cut.

Jose Maria Olazabal's position at eighth in the table is less secure after his inability to get to the weekend.

With Lee Westwood, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Phillip Price and Pierre Fulke not lasting more than two days either - Price and Fulke through illness - Tulsa came up a long way short of expectations.

Next stop in the race is the European Tour Compaq European Grand Prix at Slaley Hall near Newcastle, starting on Thursday.

But the risk now is Faldo and Parnevik's fear that Europe will pay for keeping to only two wild cards could become a reality.


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