PGA Tour star FORCED OUT of Scottish Open to put Ryder Cup hopes in doubt

Ireland's Seamus Power was dealt a hammer blow to his chances of making his first European Ryder Cup team this September after he was forced to withdraw from the first round of the Scottish Open, which is co-sanctioned by both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. 

Power, 36, was 2-over par thru 9 holes when he decided to walk out of at The Renaissance Club due to sustaining a hip injury. 

The news was confirmed via the PGA Tour Communications feed. 

Seamus Power WD during the first round of the Genesis Scottish Open due to a hip injury.

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) July 13, 2023

The unfortunate WD means Power has now missed three cuts and withdrawn in four of his last six appearances on the PGA Tour. 

Despite his recent lack of form, Power finds himself at 50th in the Official World Golf Rankings but more importantly 11th on the World Points List.

Three players automatically qualify from the World Points List and another three qualify through the European Points List. 

Here's a look at the current standings

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald will then make six captain's picks in September ahead of the biennial clash with United States in Rome, Italy. 

Power will more than likely be reliant on one of those picks if he is to compete in his first ever European Ryder Cup team this year. 

There is still time for Power to accumulate some all-important Ryder Cup points and also impress Donald.

One of the biggest opportunities will come next week at the 151st Open Championship.

But given Power has had to WD this week due to a hip injury, he will seemingly be in a race against time to make the final major of the year at Royal Liverpool. 

In his three major appearances this season, Power finished T46 at The Masters but then missed the cut in both the US PGA Championship and US Open.

The Irishman's best finish in seven major appearances thus far is a T9 at the 2022 US PGA Championship. 

Power is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour following victories at the 2021 Barbasol Championship and 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Former European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn was forced to withdraw from the Scottish Open on Wednesday. 

That marked one of a number of PGA Tour WDs prior to the start of the Scottish Open. 

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