Lowry and Harrington pipped for Seve Trophy?

Missing the Italian Open with ‘flu denied Shane Lowry the chance to qualify automatically for the Seve Trophy. He now looks likely to miss out. Picture: Eoin Clarke www.golffile.ieShane Lowry and Pádraig Harrington look set to miss out on places in Sam Torrance’s Great Britain and Ireland side to face Jose Maria Olazabal’s Continental Europe in France next week.

In fact, it looks as though Lowry will miss out by just one place from both the world rankings and the Race to Dubai qualifying lists. The commitment deadline falls on Tuesday at 5pm UK time.

Both the Continental Europe and the Great Britain and Ireland teams are chosen via the leading five eligible players from this Monday’s world rankings and the leading five eligible players not otherwise qualified via the world rankings from the Race to Dubai points list following the Italian Open. Click for lists

Both Lowry and Harrington were in with an outside chance of benefiting from a rash of withdrawals by Europe’s top six players before Tuesday’s 5pm commitment deadline. However, it appears that not enough of the men in front of them have pulled out.

England’s Simon Khan, who was just ahead of Lowry in the Race to Dubai points but four spots outside the automatic qualifiers, tweeted:

“@simonkhangolf Delighted to be in GB&I team to face Europe in Seve Trophy. Great captain as well in Sam Torrance.”

Please click the image to enlarge.The top five in the world rankings - Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood - are all giving the October 3-6 event at Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche a miss. England’s Ian Poulter, sixth in the World Ranking list and No 1 on the Race to Dubai Points is also believed to be staying away.

The upshot is that Lowry looks likely to finish sixth on both lists, just missing out, with Harrington seventh on world points.

Members qualifying for either team must commit to play no later than 1700hrs UK time on Tuesday 24th September 2013.

The teams will be announced on Wednesday, September 25.

Continental Europe - (Possible) Matteo Manassero, Peter Hanson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Thomas Bjorn, Francesco Molinari, Joost Luiten, Mikko Illonen, Thorbjorn Olesen, Gregory Bourdy, Nicolas Colsaerts.

GB&I: (Possible) Jamie Donaldson, David Lynn, Stephen Gallacher, Chris Wood, Paul Lawrie; Marc Warren, Scott Jamieson, Chris Wood, Tommy Fleetwood,  Simon Khan.