Europe’s Ryder Cup hopefuls are getting into “the 2 greatest weeks left earlier than qualification ends” for the biennial match in opposition to the USA, says captain Luke Donald.

This week’s Scottish Open on the Renaissance Membership close to Edinburgh is adopted by the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Eire.

And Donald, who led Europe to a 16½-11½ victory in Rome two years in the past, is relying on his key gamers to step up this month.

“These are large weeks in opposition to the strongest fields so that you need to see the highest guys play nicely,” Donald advised BBC Scotland.

“There are some guys which have just about staked a declare for his or her place within the group however there are a couple of spots positively open and these weeks are large for these guys.”

Rory McIlroy is the one participant to have mathematically assured his spot within the 12-strong group that can face the US at Bethpage Black in New York in September.

English pair Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton are in second and third on the checklist, exterior with qualifying ending after the British Masters on 24 August – the US qualifying interval ends on 17 August after the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship.

The highest six make the group with Donald choosing the six others, whereas the US group can be chosen in an identical method by their skipper Keegan Bradley.

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre is at present fourth on the European checklist and has actually kicked on from making his Ryder Cup debut in 2023, the place he was unbeaten, successful two-and-a-half factors out of three.

The 28-year-old from Oban adopted victory eventually yr’s Canadian Open by successful the Scottish Open, which is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.

“It helped him actually develop as a golfer and gave him the idea that he might carry out with the easiest,” stated Donald of MacIntyre’s Ryder Cup expertise.

And the Englishman added that he has been “very impressed” by the way in which MacIntyre has “tailored his recreation to the US”.

The world quantity 14 has made 15 cuts from his 17 PGA Tour occasions this season, together with his runner-up end eventually month’s US Open, the place he completed one shot behind champion JJ Spaun at Oakmont.

“If you make that transition from enjoying largely in Europe to enjoying over there, it’s troublesome,” stated Donald.

“The fields are deeper. It is tougher. However he was nonetheless constant and I used to be watching his stats rather a lot.

“Even from when he certified in Rome to the place he was earlier than the second place within the US Open, his stats had been fairly a bit higher.

“He received twice final yr, in Canada and right here [Scottish Open at Renaissance Club]. I noticed the advance in statistics and it was solely a matter of time earlier than he had a extremely, actually good week and he nearly pulled it off.”