Shane Lowry has been chosen as one of Europe's Ryder Cup wildcards by Padraig Harrington after missing out on automatic qualification at the BMW PGA championship.
Lowry's share of 17th place meant he finished ninth in the world points rankings, one place outside the guaranteed spots, but compatriot and captain Harrington selected him alongside Sergio Garcia (10th), Europe's all-time leading points scorer, and six-time tournament favourite Ian Poulter (15th).
Frenchman Victor Perez (eighth on the European points list) and former world number one Justin Rose might be the most disappointed to miss out but a fortnight's time in Wisconsin will be 34-year-old Lowry's first appearance at a Ryder Cup.
Lowry said: "It's been a career-long dream to play in the Ryder Cup. I remember when the points race started, I said it was my number one goal and it has been for the last two years.
"I’m just incredibly proud of what I have achieved. But there’s no point going over there to make up the numbers. I want to win points and help bring the cup back."
Harrington said: "He is a rookie but nobody thinks of him as a rookie. He's a major champion, a World Golf Championship winner.
"If I’ve picked a rookie it’s probably because they have delivered twice to get in the team."
On Garcia, Harrington said: "He is a leader. He loves match play. He gets the job done, he has the most points in the Ryder Cup and I am expecting a few more this time around."
As for Poulter, Harrington said: "He is undefeated in singles. He lifts himself, he lifts his partners, he lifts the team. He has played great all year."
A disappointing final round of 71 at Wentworth, which included bogeys on 4 and 14 and a double bogey six on 15, had seen the Offaly man slip to a share of 17th place on 12 under.
The tournament was won by American Billy Horschel. He carded seven birdies, including a decisive one from two feet on the 18th, to finish 19 under par, a shot ahead of England's Laurie Canter, Welshman Jamie Donaldson and Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat
The last two automatic places went to Bernd Wiesberger after his top-20 finish at the West Course, and to Lee Westwood, who had enough points in the bag despite a poor closing round of 77.
They, and the three captain's picks, join Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland in the team for Whistling Straights.
Horschel admitted he had been fired up by missing out on a Ryder Cup wild card after becoming just the second American to win the BMW PGA Championship.
The late Arnold Palmer is the only other American to have tasted victory in the European Tour's flagship event, the seven-time major winner claiming the title at Royal St George’s in 1975.
"Add my name to Arnold Palmer, that’s legendary stuff," Horschel said. "If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have this modern era of golf to play in front of thousands of fans and big sponsors.
"Tiger Woods took it to another level but Arnie is the one who started it. So to have my name on that trophy is pretty special. To win this event means a lot.
"In my mind, it’s equivalent to The Players Championship. We have a great event on the PGA Tour (at Sawgrass) and I live there and would love to lift that one, but I have this one under my belt and I’m very happy."
Horschel also won the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March but was overlooked for a Ryder Cup wild card on Wednesday and did not even receive a call to say he had been considered by US captain Steve Stricker.
"It sucks not making the team," Horschel added. "I didn’t play consistent enough and well enough after I won the Match Play to warrant a pick or to get enough points to be an automatic selection.
"I was a little gutted I didn’t get a call this week. Didn’t think it was going to be a phone call that said I made the team. But it was a phone call saying, hey, you had a great year, obviously we talked, but we’re going to go in a different direction.
"I was a little ticked. Gave me a little bit of fire in my butt. There was a little more added motivation this week for that."
Horschel could yet receive a late call-up for the contest after Brooks Koepka had to withdraw from the Tour Championship last week through injury, and is not harbouring any grudges.
"If somehow a phone call comes my way that says Brooks had to withdraw and I got picked, I’d be over the moon," added the West Ham fan, who revealed he would be celebrating his win by having dinner with Hammers midfielders Mark Noble and Declan Rice.
"I’d be up there faster than the speed of sound to get there."
