D.J. Trahan and German youngster Martin Kaymer, who hope to feature on opposite sides in next month’s Ryder Cup, look to fire their chances this week in the Scandinavian Masters near Stockholm.
Trahan, 11th on the U.S. Cup table behind the eight men who qualified after the PGA Championship, hopes he has already done enough to impress captain Paul Azinger.
He plays in Sweden for pure relaxation after a gruelling Cup campaign. Then Trahan hopes to round off his bid for the team with two strong weeks back on his home PGA Tour.
“It’s been a long, hard year,” Trahan told Reuters on Wednesday. “I would have taken this week off, but I thought I’d get away from all the Ryder Cup mayhem at home and have some fun in Sweden.
“I think I’ve made a good stance for my place already but I’m hoping to go back and have two more really good weeks before Paul decides on his four wild-cards.
“There are four or five guys figuring for four spots but I know Paul will pick the four he thinks will do best for the team. He won’t have favourites.”
Trahan is one of the favourites to win in Sweden, even though it is his first visit to the country.
“I guess if I win this week it would impress the captain.” he added.
Kaymer is determined not to have to impress Europe’s captain Nick Faldo, making the team by right in three weeks’ time.
The 23-year-old tied second in the Arlandastad event last year when nerves spoiled his chance of a maiden title but Kaymer sits 11th on Europe’s Ryder Cup table by virtue of two wins this season.
Victory in Sweden would take him into an automatic top-10 qualifying spot for the event in Louisville, Kentucky from Sept. 19-21, and Kaymer aims to stay there by the time Europe’s automatic places are decided in three weeks’ time.
That is because he feels more senior players will get the nod for Faldo’s two wild-cards.
“Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke and Paul Casey will deserve to get the wild-cards before me,” Kaymer told Reuters.
“Montgomerie’s statistics show that he is different class when it comes to Ryder Cup and Clarke and Casey have so much more experience than me.
“I wouldn’t expect a pick even if I finished 11th on the table.”
