Harrington opts for ankle scan

With only three weeks to run to the Ryder Cup the form of some and the fitness of others in the European team are major causes of concern to the captain Sam Torrance.

Several of the side that qualified for the Belfry matches - postponed from last year because of September 11 - have hardly hit a satisfactory shot in competition all season.

That is compounded by the fact that two key men in Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie, who would have been expected to play in each of the five series of matches by Torrance, have serious health concerns.

The consistent and dependable Harrington, who has risen into the top 10 of the world rankings, has an injury to his left ankle which means he cannot transfer his weight properly and considered pulling out of the recent US PGA Championship, explaining: "I know it's going to hurt and sometimes I flinch."

Harrington had an MRI scan on it in Dublin yesterday and although the results will not be known until Saturday he said: "I won't be missing the Ryder Cup. I've played on the ankle for the last two weeks and it is only going to get better."

It is an admirable attitude to take to the Belfry but the problem is that such an injury can play on the mind and cause the subconscious to say "Oh no you don't" when attempting to get properly through the ball.

Montgomerie's problems may be more serious. The Scot has walked out of two events citing a bad back, but two specialists and a scan have found nothing career-threatening. He, like Harrington, is sitting out this week's European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre.

Lee Westwood and Phillip Price are playing in Switzerland, though, Westwood looking to build on his by now fragile confidence but Price desperate to rediscover anything like the form that earned him Ryder selection 18 months ago - something that could also be said in varying degrees about Pierre Fulke, Jesper Parnevik and Niclas Fasth.