Olazabal to delay wild-card picks

Jose Maria Olazabal has been granted more time to consider his two wild cards for this year's Ryder Cup.

Instead of being named straight after the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles on August 26, Olazabal is going to watch that night's action from America.

His two selections will then be announced the following day.

Two years ago the so-called "Gang of Four" Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey and Justin Rose were all playing the final round of the FedEx Cup event in the States when European qualifying came to an end.

Donald and Harrington heard they were in, but Casey, ninth in the world at the time, and Rose, twice a winner in America that summer, were left out by then captain Colin Montgomerie.

"There's going to be a change," said Olazabal. "I think the scenario last time was a delicate one, obviously for the captain and also for the players playing in the States.

"So we are going to wait until whatever happens in the States before we make the decision. I think it would be fair for anybody that is playing in the States that might be on the verge of winning that tournament.

"It would be completely unfair to name those two picks before the guy even tees off. And I would like to have an eye on the players that are hot at that time.

"If the guy wins that tournament it means that he's on top of his game, so it would be a good idea to have a thought about him."

The event in America - again the first leg of the FedEx Cup play-offs - will still not count for points, however. That means those players not certain of their places in Olazabal's side will have to make a decision where to play.