On the eve of the Desert Classic in Dubai last February, Seve Ballesteros spoke about keeping an eye on certain Ryder Cup candidates. He mentioned the impressive US form of Jesper Parnevik before adding: "Miguel Martin is another one who has a very good chance of making the team." We will know on Thursday just how good that chance was.
Back in February, Martin was second in the Ryder Cup points table, having captured the Heineken Classic in Perth a month previously. Now, despite a serious wrist injury, he is determined to assert his rights as holder of the last qualifying place.
Some clarification of a decidedly blurred situation came from the European Tour yesterday. They said that the Spaniard, who sustained the injury during the Loch Lomond Invitational, would be required to prove his fitness, both to his own doctor and to an independent doctor, by Thursday.
Indications are that he has no chance of recovering in time from a ruptured tendon, even though the plaster was removed from his wrist last week. According to medical sources, Martin's fate was sealed by a recent pronouncement from Dr Michael Allen, chief medical officer for the British Open.
In criticising Martin's decision to play at Royal Troon with a cortisone injection, Allen said: "I have no doubts that if he had followed the advice of myself and my team, he would be playing again by now. He certainly has no chance of being fit for the Ryder Cup."
Other sources said: "Normally, it is a straight-forward six-week problem, but the rupture complicates matters. Strictly on the basis of Dr Allen's observations, his situation looks to be extremely ominous."
But nobody can blame the player for clinging jealously to any chance, however slim, of realising the dream of a lifetime. Which makes the behaviour of Ballesteros, as captain of the European side, highly questionable.
During the Smurfit European Open two weeks ago, Ballesteros effectively wrote Martin out of the side in statements to the media. One suspected there was more than a hint of wishful thinking in those views. There was also the belief that the situation would have resolved itself, with either Jose-Maria Olazabal or Padraig Harrington moving ahead of Martin into 10th position.
The fact is that Ballesteros has not behaved in recent weeks with the calm assurance of a trusted leader. As Peter Alliss put it: "He seems to be in turmoil, torn between a fanatical determination to win the Ryder Cup in his homeland and a desperation to save his own game from falling apart."
In the process, he has treated prospective team members rather shabbily. Nick Faldo, for instance, still felt it necessary over the weekend to make a case for his inclusion as a wild card. "I feel confident I can do the job," he said. "I have won in America this year (Los Angeles Open) and I'm the last man in or out of the team to win a major. So my credentials aren't bad."
According to Alliss: "Faldo is the man people feel will hit the fairway, find the green and hole the putt when he needs to. He is the one player who can intimidate the Americans into feeling two-down before they even start." And even if he happens to he struggling at the moment, hasn't he earned the right to one more chance, after a record-equalling 10 successive appearances in the side?
Ballesteros should have spoken to him by now, but we shouldn't be surprised that he hasn't. The Spaniards thrives on intrigue, manipulating the media to do his bidding and then raising his hands innocently when things don't work out as anticipated.
In that context, one has to admire Martin for standing his ground, even if it has made the announcement of the team the most protracted in the recent history of the biennial event. If the doctors are correct, he has no chance of being fit by Thursday, but he has earned the right to have the decision deferred until then, despite the machinations of the team captain.
The finalising of the team is expected to happen on the first day of the Canon European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre, where Colin Montgomerie will be defending the title. Fears were expressed over the weekend that the event might have to be postponed because of flooding to four greens, but the European Tour were yesterday optimistic it would go ahead as planned.
So, there is no let-up for Harrington, who headed there from London yesterday so as to fulfil a commitment to compete in the final of the Canon Shoot-Out series today.
Having won four out of seven of the foursomes competitions leading to the final, Harrington and his partner, to be picked by Ballesteros, will be in line for a first prize of £10,000 each. The other nine competitors are: Ballesteros, Montgomerie (who partnered Sam Torrance to victory last year), Costantino Rocca, Lee Westwood, Andrew Coltart, Alexander Cejka, Faldo, Eduardo Romero and Scott Hoch.
Hoch's inclusion in the field is particularly interesting in view of his victory in the Milwaukee Open last Sunday and the fact that he is set to make his Ryder Cup debut at Valderrama as a member of the US line-up. Hoch had a winning eagle at the last.
It will be Harrington's sixth successive tournament and his ninth in the last 10 weeks. But he is set to take a three-week break after next weekend, which means he will miss the Lancome Trophy, the One 2 One British Masters and, sadly, the Ryder Cup. Unless, of course, he receives an unexpected call-up from Ballesteros next Thursday.
Other Irish competitors in the Swiss line-up are: Ronan Rafferty, Darren Clarke, Philip Walton, Des Smyth, Raymond Burns and David Higgins.
