Briton Phillip Price is the man under fire as the race to clinch places in
Europe's Ryder Cup team enters its last lap at the BMW International starting
on Thursday.
Price is in the most vulnerable spot in the Cup standings, occupying the 10th
and last place that qualifies for captain Sam Torrance's team to play the
United States at the Belfry in England next month.
While he knows that at least 10 players will be aiming to take over his coveted
spot, the 34-year-old Welshman is refusing to look over his shoulder.
"There are so many guys out to overtake me this week, so I have to perform
as well as I can," Price said on Wednesday.
"To give myself any chance I have to shoot as low as I can and not watch
what everyone else is doing.
"This is definitely not a normal week because of the amount of focus people
are putting on me and the attention I'm getting, so it won't be easy.
"I'll be relieved come Sunday night when I can get back to being normal.
"But I think this course favours me - I finished sixth here a couple of
years ago - and it would be one of those I'd be quite happy to play in the
position I'm in.
"I've got to get my putting going this week, though, because there
are going to be birdies galore."
Price has been inundated by well-wishers since returning from America. "It's
the only topic of conversation at the moment. Nobody wants to talk about anything
else."
Briton Ian Poulter could be Price's greatest threat after the 2000 rookie
of the year surged past Miguel Jimenez into 11th spot in the table.
"Obviously I helped myself last week with a decent finish in the NEC (Invitational)
and now I have to finish the job," said Poulter, playing with a new driver
after snapping the head off his old one at the 16th in Akron on Sunday, while
making a practice swing.
Jimenez is only 88,873 points behind in 12th place. With a 300,000 points
first prize, players down to at least 20th place can overtake Price, especially
if he misses the cut.
