Lowry needs Ryder Cup wildcard and heads to Denmark seeking a win

Shane Lowry must show Darren Clarke he's in Ryder Cup form in Denmark

Shane Lowry might have missed out on automatic Ryder Cup qualification but he’ll still play the Made in Denmark as planned and seek a win that could persuade Darren Clarke to give him one of three wildcards.

While Graeme McDowell, Russell Knox, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer are among those looking for a captain’s pick, Lowry will give it one more try at Himmerland Golf and Spa Resort after a 67 left him  in the pack at the Wyndham Championship on eight under par.

McDowell was tied seventh with one hole to play when play was suspended at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, two under for the day and six strokes behind Korea’s Si Woo Kim.

Clarke certainly has a dilemma as he looks to complete his wildcard choices.

England's Matthew Fitzpatrick clinched the ninth and final automatic spot for Europe on Sunday when he finished fifth in the Czech Masters.

He has enough world points that he cannot be caught when European qualifying ends next weekend in Denmark.

Thomas Pieters of Belgium, who finished fourth last week at the Olympics, could have earned a spot by winning the Czech Masters and in Denmark.

But he finished one shot behind Paul Peterson, who birdied the last hole Sunday for his first European Tour victory.

Rory McIlroy, Masters champion Danny Willett, British Open champion Henrik Stenson and Chris Wood earned spots through the money list.

Sergio Garcia, Olympic gold medal winner Justin Rose, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Andy Sullivan and Fitzpatrick were the players to come through from the world points list targeted by Lowry at the start of the campaign.

Willett, Wood, Cabrera Bello, Sullivan and Fitzpatrick are rookies and Clarke will surely consider Kaymer and Westwood while Pieters an Knox are two rookies with claims to the third spot.

Lowry is behind Dane Soren Kjeldsen and England’s Tyrrell Hatton in the standings and while players like McDowell and  Luke Donald will try to catch Clarke’s eye with a win in the Barclays at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course, one feels that Lowry must do the same in Denmark to have of getting Clarke’s attention.