North Carolina-based Pettersson insists he tried to rejoin the European Tour when qualifying started last September, but was told he had to wait until the start of the new season in November.

By then he had had a win and a second place in America. Add the world ranking points from those performances to his current total in the table and he would be at the top of it rather than trying to get into the top 10.

Others like Greg Owen and Jesper Parnevik have joined in mid-season, but European Tour director of operations David Garland has stated that there is no record of Pettersson making his initial request.

This June the 28-year-old also lifted the prestigious Memorial tournament, but he has to win again this week at the Bridgestone Invitational to claim an automatic spot.

And that, of course, means beating Tiger Woods, four times a winner on the Firestone course and winner of his last three tournaments – two of them majors.

Failing that, Pettersson’s only way to the K Club next month is via wildcard, but Woosnam has only two to hand out and Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn and Ian Poulter need them as well as things stand.

Asked if he has had any conversations with Europe’s captain Pettersson said: “No. I’m a little bit surprised I’ve not heard from him – I have had two wins.

“But that’s his deal and it will be interesting to see what happens. I was thinking of going to Munich next week (for the final counting event), but now I think I’ll go to Boston and hope to impress there.”

There is a big problem in that, however.

The US Tour event starts on the Friday and finishes on the Monday. Woosnam names his wildcards in Germany on Sunday night.

On the whole experience of the past year and his off-on membership of the European circuit Pettersson comments: “I felt bitter about it at first and I think the European Tour are a little sketchy, but now there’s nothing I can do about it and I’m just trying to play as well as I can.

“I had a good Open (he was eighth), but have been disappointed since then.”

He missed two cuts in Europe and then the US PGA championship as well.

“I think I’ve been thinking about the Ryder Cup too much and it affected me. It’s too much to think about and when I look at the table I can’t even figure it out any way. It’s a strange system.”

The top five are based on world ranking points, the next five from European Order of Merit performances.

“I think it would be best just to do what the International side does for the Presidents Cup – pick off the world rankings,” he added.

He is not alone in not being to able to figure out things the way it is. This is the penultimate event and the calculations on who might make the team depend on knowing the world ranking points on offer each week and this week on the exchange rate of dollars into Euro.

The bottom line for the players, though, is just to go out and play as well as they can. Somebody can then tell them whether it has been good enough.

Because of the points system Paul McGinley actually went up a place to ninth last week when not playing because Jose Maria Olazabal dropped from third on the world list to fifth on the other and therefore 10th overall.

McGinley, who missed the final major of the season to attend the funeral of Darren Clarke’s wife Heather, re-enters the fray going head-to-head with Woods no less tomorrow and Friday.

They were first and third last year and a repeat of that will do the Dubliner nicely. It would secure him a third cap.

On whether Clarke is to receive a wild card from Woosnam, McGinley said: “That’s something the two of them will have to discuss.”

Assistant captain Sandy Lyle gave a big hint at the weekend that Clarke could well be chosen for a match that takes place just six weeks after his wife lost her cancer battle.

It is thought the Ulsterman would enter the Madrid Open in three weeks’ time if he feels ready to face the Americans and, of course, if Woosnam selects him.