Future Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington has labelled as ‘silly’ suggestions by Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood the European Tour drop its mandatory Tour membership requirement that would have seen the likes of Paul Casey compete at Hazeltine

McIlroy and Westwood are on record as saying changes should be made to the selection process and with European Tour CEO, Keith Pelley hinting the matter will be up for discussion before Christmas when the 2018 European Team Captain is appointed.

Harrington, speaking after last weekend’s Turkish Airlines Open, believes the only change to the current selection format should involve the final qualifying date by being pushed back by a fortnight so the team better reflects form.

Padraig Harrington reckons the Ryder Cup qualifying process should remain unchanged other than to extend the qualifying period to a fortnight prior to competition.

“The Ryder Cup is far too important to the European Tour for the man on the ground to be turning around and saying, ‘Why not just select the top 12 in the world rankings and be done with it,’” said the triple Major winner.

“That would be silly, wouldn’t it?

“At the end of the day, the reason we have done well in the Ryder Cup is because of our selection criteria and how we have worked it.

“Just because we lost the last one and the US have changed their criteria doesn’t mean we should change ours. Ours was working just fine.

“The Ryder Cup is all about the European Tour.

“And the Ryder Cup, to be honest, it represents the non-Europeans who are members of the European Tour too. It is all about the European Tour. That is how I see it.

“It is absolutely a carrot used by the European Tour. If you want to play in the Ryder Cup and improve your career prospects and all that goes with it, you have got to be a member of the tour and play five times. It is not much to ask anybody.”