Padraig Harrington will be under even more pressure now to qualify for the European Ryder Cup team following the release of the draw for the opening two rounds of next week’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

Organisers have drawn Harrington to play alongside fellow PGA past winners, Phil Mickelson and Davis Love 111.

Padraig Harrington under more pressure playing alongside the USA Ryder Cup captain for the first two days of next week's PGA Championship.

Love 111 is also the USA Ryder Cup captain and will Harrington, who is currently lying 20th on the qualifying points table now looking likely to need a ‘wildcard’ pick if he’s to represent Europe later this year in Medinah.

World No. 3 Rory McIlroy has been drawn with hapless 2010 PGA near champion, Dustin Johnson for the opening two rounds of next week’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

Johnson let slip victory two years ago and penalised by grounding his club in a fairway bunker.

Joining McIlroy and Johnson will be American Jim Furyk, who currently leads the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational.

Last year’s Open Champion, Darren Clarke is grouped with Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa and big-hitting American Gary Woodland.

U.S. Open winner, Graeme McDowell is out in the group behind Harrington next Thursday joining Americans Scott Piercy, winner of last week’s Canadian Open, and Matt Kuchar.

While Michael Hoey, who was afforded an invitation into the year’s final Major, finds himself grouped with ‘go slow’ American Kevin Na  and Rod Perry.

Tiger Woods finds himself alongside the past two PGA champions in Keegan Bradley (2011) and Germany’s Martin Kaymer (2010).