It was not exactly a sub-plot. It was more important than that. But it is a fact that the deeds of men in the state of Ohio these last few days went beyond the winning and losing of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

There were some good performances from Europeans in Akron and some not so good. If nothing else, though, the tournament ended with Ian Woosnam knowing that seven players now had places in his Ryder Cup team nailed down. They're in and nothing can now hoof them out.

As the European qualification goes into its final four days in the BMW International in Munich, there are still issues that have to be resolved, though, and some of them might be decided by people who are staying away as much as folk who will tip up at the exotically named Golfclub Munchen Nord-Eichenried.

Luke Donald, Henrik Stenson, David Howell, Colin Montgomerie, Robert Karlsson, Sergio Garcia, who finally sealed his place with his 22nd spot finish at the Bridgestone, and Paul Casey, who finally ended the last lingering, if far-fetched, doubt about his place by finishing tied fourth, can turn up in Germany and shoot 65s. They can do the same at the second hole, too, if they have a mood to, and they'll still be in.

The huge purse at the Bridgestone Invitational event gave several European players an opportunity to make their membership of Europe's team secure in their bid to retain the Cup. Apart from Garcia and Casey, who had to do little more, anyway, than remain vertical to assure themselves of a place, nobody did so.

Three men in particular will be suffering that good old, bad old feeling that wraps a tight steel band round the chest and turns the simple matter of swallowing breakfast cereal a strangely painful proposition, as well as injecting Jello into the knee joints and a tremor into the voice box.

Two of them are playing in Munich, one, oddly but entirely in character, is not.

Luke Donald will make his second Ryder Cup appearance next month. (Greenwood/WireImage)

Padraig Harrington is almost as safe as can be and if he makes the cut, he should be OK. A good job, too. The fact that his Dublin birthplace and, therefore, the sure-fire guarantee of long and loud support from the golfers of his fair city will give him a notional one-hole advantage at the start of every match he plays can't do any harm. But we want good old Padraig in the roster, anyway -- he's the archetypal good team man.

Paul McGinley, another Dubliner, is another one, but lightness of step will not be his companion in Germany. From past experience, McGinley know what it's like to scrap for a Ryder Cup place, but it doesn't make it any easier to handle when you've got to do it again.

He's currently 10th in the list but can gain some solace from the fact that only three men can overtake either him or Jose Maria Olazabal. John Bickerton has to win, Johan Edfors needs to finish second and Paul Broadhurst must be third. If either Monty or Casey go past him on the world rankings list, that provides five of the team. Ifs sometimes happen, as do buts. McGinley will be unlucky indeed if all the stars end up in cruel confluence to end his dream of a third appearance.

At least McGinley has his future in his own hands. Olazabal doesn't. He's not playing in Germany.

If practically anybody else were to decide to stay at home while his destiny is decided by others, eyebrows would be raised above the hairline.

But this is Ollie. He is a singular man and his own man. It might look like he's being short-sightedly perverse, but he isn't. He just does what he feels is right. And we'll tell you what, too -- even if he misses out, he will not regret his decision to stay at home a bit. It will have been the right thing for him to have done and to heck with the consequences.

There remains the matter of the two wild cards, and here the plot thickens. Woosnam knows from long acquaintance with the grand old match that there is quite often nothing that will beat experience. It will be intriguing to see if he makes that the deciding factor.

If he does, the favourites might be Lee Westwood, Thomas Bjorn or, if he is ready to play so soon after his wife's recent and tragic death, Darren Clarke.

If he goes for form, one of the lucky men could be Carl Pettersson, who, had he been a European Tour member throughout the year-long qualification process, would have been top of the table.

Or perhaps Ian Poulter, who has neither form nor vast experience to support his case. He has played only once before. He has not played anywhere near as well as he can this year and admits as much. But if Woosie's finger reaches out and points at him, Poulter will still believe he can beat the world.

It is like this every Ryder Cup year. We go through a season, four majors are played, vast sums of money wash round the system, chances are given, taken and spurned.

And yet it nearly always comes down to this last week. In the face of all that has preceded it, every other year, the BMW International is the most important tournament of the season. Long may it last.