One player forever to be remembered for one putt , one with royal connections and one best known for his clothes and hair are three of the central characters this week in the final act of a 12-month Ryder Cup drama.
Paul McGinley, David Howell and Ian Poulter hold the 10th, eighth and ninth places in the European qualifying table entering the BMW International Open in Munich.
And while they try to fend off attacks from the six men who could deny them their dream, Colin Montgomerie and Luke Donald – paired together for the first two rounds – hope to turn on the style and remove any doubt that they should be the men captain Bernhard Langer hands his wild cards to on Sunday evening.
Howell, whose girlfriend Emily is the personal assistant to the Queen’s private secretary, and Poulter, whose sense of adventure in what he wears has reached new heights this summer, are simply glad to be back in a position where they can decide their futures.
The two Englishmen did not qualify for last week’s NEC world championship in Akron and it could have cost them dear – but it did not.