Nick Dougherty sits on 15th position in the Ryder Cup points list.  With three weeks left to make the team, he is trying to make the push to get on Nick Faldo's team.  Today, with a 66 in the opening round of the SAS Masters in Sweden, he gave himself a good chance to pick up critical points.

What's equally as interesting, though, is who's missing from the field.

To Dougherty’s great surprise, ninth-placed Oliver Wilson and 10th-placed Soren Hansen are taking this week off after missing the cut, like him, in last week’s US PGA and so Faldo’s prodigy can move right onto their heels by winning on Sunday.

11th ranked Martin Kaymer is in the field and is -1.

Interestingly enough, though, several other Europeans have adjusted their schedules to find the best route to get on the team.

Justin Rose is No. 7 on the list of world points, about 18 points behind Robert Karlsson at No. 5. Rose, however, is third in money standings and might have a better chance of nailing down a spot by staying in Europe.

He also is No. 76 in the FedEx Cup standings, but he entered the KLM Open in The Netherlands and the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, the final qualifying event for Europe.

"My plan was to play the FedEx Cup, but I don't know if I have quite enough points to be safe," Rose said. "So I might have to go back and earn some more."

But, he sacrifices places an opportunity to make real ground in the FedEx Cup and probably cannot make the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Paul Casey is the opposite.  He's playing in the States with the hopes of getting on the team via the World Points list.

Paul Casey is No. 91 in the FedEx Cup standings and 16th in the Ryder Cup world points table. His best chance is to gather world ranking points, and there are more available in the United States this month.

"I'm FedExCupping it," Casey said after a tie for 15th at Oakland Hills. "I still have an opportunity to qualify, but that opportunity is now off the world points list rather than the euros. And I'm a long way off of that list. I basically have to win, simple as that."