Ballesteros approaches a difficult decision time on his captain's choices

London, 20th August - On Monday Tom Kite announced his two captain's picks for the American Ryder Cup team while in Europe Seve Ballesteros is pondering over the choices he still has to make.

He will announce his decision to the press on 31st August, the day following the BMW International Open in Munich.

Until then he will be having sleepless nights in a quandary over which two players he will pick to join the ten that automatic qualify through their places in the Ryder Cup points table.

He has three outstanding players not in the top ten, Jose Maria Olazabal, currently in 12th position, Nick Faldo, in 22nd and Jasper Parnevik who is not a member of the European Tour and will have to rely on being selected.

If Olazabal can manage to scramble up the table to become an automatic selection then the pressure would ease considerable on Seve's shoulders. If he doesn't then Olazabal will almost certainly become one of the captain's choices leaving a difficult decision on who to choose between Faldo and Parnevik.

Faldo whose record in the Ryder Cup's he has played in since 1977 is outstanding, but he has been in and out form all year. He has missed two cuts in major championships which he hasn't done before and his only victory was in March. He is currently 13th in the World Ranking and he played badly at Winged Foot last week.

Colin Montgomerie thinks Parnevik is the third best European in the world but he says that very few players can be 1-up on the first tee and Faldo is one of them. "A Ryder Cup team without Nick Faldo would be a worse team," he said.

Lee Westwood, Costantino Rocca and Ignacio Garrido also agree with Montgomerie and prefer Faldo to Parnevik.

Ernie Els, Nick Price and Per Ulrik Johansson opt for Parnevik who has finished second in five events in the US and Europe this year. He is also 15th in the World Ranking. "Jesper would have made the American team it he were American," said Els.

Price said "I would go for Jesper on form. Nick is not handling the pressure well at the moment."

It seems that Faldo is sensing the odds may be against him and last week said: " If Seve picks me I will go down to Valderamma a week early to practice."

No matter which two players Seve chooses he will upset someone. He dare not leave out Olazabal. If he did the Spanish would lynch him. If he leaves out Parnevik then the Swedes will hate him and if he leaves out Faldo the rest of Europe will hate him.