If Oliver Wilson finishes above Martin Kaymer, Ross Fisher and Nick Dougherty at the Johnnie Walker Championship that gets under way at Gleneagles tomorrow, he will qualify as of right for the Europe Ryder Cup team that will take on the United States in Louisville, Kentucky, next month.

It would be quite some feat for the 27-year-old Englishman, who, were he not to win on Sunday, would become the first player to qualify for the Europe team before he had recorded a victory on the European Tour, having played in 109 events.

That is not to say, however, that he would not deserve his place. Wilson lies in the tenth and final position in the Ryder Cup standings, having finished runner-up four times this year, and would already have qualified had he not lost to Miguel Ángel Jiménez, of Spain, at the second extra hole of a play-off for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, in May.

Yesterday, at a wet Gleneagles, Wilson admitted that he was aware of the players giving chase, but was determined not to become distracted from the task in hand. “I’m not looking over my shoulder all the time because that’s the quickest way for people to overtake you,” he said. “I mustn’t worry about them and have just got to concentrate on what I’m doing. Right now, I’m in [the team] and it’s a better position to be inside than out.

“I would love to be on the team no matter what, but to be on it with a win under my belt would be fantastic. I’m ready to win and, hopefully, it will be this week. I’ve thought about the Ryder Cup for years, but I don’t think I can imagine what it would be like.”

Wilson’s task this week has been made a little easier by the withdrawal of Ian Poulter, who could have overtaken his countryman in the standings, but has chosen to play in the United States instead, while relying on being one of two wild-card picks by Nick Faldo, the captain.

Poulter will face stiff competition from Paul Casey and Darren Clarke, and some players, Dougherty among them, are speculating that Poulter expects to be picked on Sunday. “All I can think of is that he has been given the nod,” Dougherty said.

“I’m a little bit surprised [that Poulter pulled out],” Wilson said. “He’s obviously got a plan, but what it is I don’t know. From my point of view, I’d think he was pretty comfortable for a pick, but you never know.”