Paul McGinley believes Europe will have their strongest team ever for this year's Ryder Cup at the K Club in September.
That is some claim given the record-breaking victory achieved over the United States at Oakland Hills in Detroit two years ago, but the statistics seem to support the Irishman's argument.
'This is going to be the strongest European team ever, the points are already higher than everyone expected, I think they are 30% up on last time, and it just shows you the quality of the tour,' McGinley said after rounds of 72 and 70 saw him make the halfway cut in the weather-disrupted KLM Open.
The 39-year-old currently has 1,455,992 points - one point is awarded for every euro won in official European Tour events within the qualifying period - but is only 10th in the standings, the last automatic qualifying place.
Two years ago that total would have been good enough for seventh in the final table with Ian Poulter, the last player to qualify automatically, only earning 1,136,184 points in total.
McGinley, who holed the winning putt at The Belfry in 2002 and was unbeaten in three matches at Oakland Hills in 2004, looked certain to make the team after winning the Volvo Masters last season, but has slowly slipped down the standings and knows he needs one more good week to seal his place.
He admitted: 'Nothing has come easy to me this season. I think I've missed six cuts by a single shot, two of those were in the US Open and Open championship, and I also had my knee operation which set me back.
'I've not created any momentum and sometimes you have to do it the hard way. I've got to fight and work my way out of it.'
He added: 'Woosie (European captain Ian Woosnam) has spoken to me, but only as much as he's speaking to the other guys. He has done exactly what a captain should be doing, he has not been on your case but has been very supportive.'
