The mystery over who will skipper Europe’s Ryder Cup hat-trick bid at the K Club will soon be revealed.

On December 20, 15 members of the European Tour’s tournament committee will meet to discuss who they think should get the job in Ireland in 2006.

Committee members Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley will sit down with chairman Jamie Spence, Roger Chapman, Andrew Coltart, Joakim Haeggman, Mark James, Miguel Angel Jiménez and 2000 skipper Bernhard Langer to recommend a name to the Ryder Cup committee.

Sky sports commentator and former tour player Robert Lee, possible candidate Colin Montgomerie, Mark Roe, Henrik Stenson, Jean Van de Velde and New Zealander Greg Turner are the other members of the select group.

Based on the recommendation of the players, the Ryder Cup committee will make a decision early in the New Year and officially announce the 2006 skipper.

Bernhard Langer is rated the even money favourite for the job after his successful captaincy in the US last September.

But Welsh wizard Ian Woosnam is reckoned by many insiders to the the real dark horse for the job.

Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Eamonn Darcy, Des Smyth, Christy O’Connor Jnr and Jose Maria Olazabal are also in the mix.

But the current thinking among the European Tour elite seems to favour Woosnam for Ireland with Faldo more likely to get the job in the US in 2008.

The contenders

Bernhard Langer (evens)
The German loved the adulation of Oakland Hills but is torn between captaincy and making an 11th Ryder Cup appearance as a player.

With the captaincy being shared around in recent years, may be persuaded not to run again.

He said: “There are some great players who deserve a turn, but there could be some that miss out. I want to be at the K Club but I don’t know if it will be as a spectator, a player or as captain.

Nick Faldo (4/1)
A strong contender. Respected by the players, he is not the most popular of characters and his arch enemy Mark James is on the committee.

Has more Ryder Cup experience than any with a record 11 appearances.

He said: “It will be unbelievable in Ireland. That is what would be so nice. That would be sensational.

“It would be a riot. But just as long as it is a controlled riot - a friendly controlled riot. That would be fantastic atmosphere.”

As for taking on the likes of Eamonn Darcy, Des Smyth or Christy O’Connor Jnr as one of his vice-captains, Faldo would not be drawn.

He said: “I would like to wait to present my ideas to the committee rather than bring all that up now.”

Ian Woosnam (5/1)
Welsh wizard feels he will be too old and out of touch to captain the side on home turf at Celtic Manor in 2010.

Played in eight Ryder Cups between 1983 and 1997 - winning 14 and halving five of his 31 matches.

Disappointed to be overlooked for the captaincy at Oakland Hills, this could be his best chance.

He said: “If I get the job in Ireland, I think Faldo should get it in 2008 and Monty should be captain at Celtic Manor in 2010. After that I think Olazabal should get it.”

Colin Montgomerie (6/1)
Needed a wild card from Langer to play at Oakland Hills and now appears to be keen to resurrect his career and play again.

But like Woosnam, Montgomerie is not prepared to wait until the event reaches his homeland, in this case Scotland, in 2014.

After his winning performance at Oakland Hills he said: “There's plenty of time to be a captain, possibly. I'm only glad that Bernhard had some faith in me and that I managed to perform half-decent and help the team cause. If I can do that again, I'd be delighted to do it.”

Des Smyth 16/1
Fed up with the politics involved, Smyth appears to have taken himself out of the running. He admits that keeping in touch with players is nearly impossible now that he is concentrating on the US Champions Tour.

Would have an excellent chance of being a Ryder Cup vice - captain to the likes of Woosnam.

He said: “I am listening to the politics and I don’t think they are getting ready for an Irish captain. I’m tired of all that chit-chat at this stage.

“The big guns are all piling up and they all have a case. But I hope Bernhard doesn't go another year. That has been part of the problem with our side. Jacklin had the captaincy for too long and Gallacher had it for too long.”

Eamonn Darcy 20/1
Still keen on the job, Darcy has opted out of the US Champions Tour and shown his loyalty to Europe by deciding to support the European Seniors Tour.

Still remembered for his heroics in the 1987 match at Muirfield Village when he clinched the winning point, he looks to be too far removed from the current generation of young stars.

He said: “My hat’s in the ring too and has been for some time.
I let my views know to the committee years ago and I’d certainly be over the moon if I got the job. But it looks as though politics will stop an Irishman getting it, which is a shame.”

Christy O’Connor Jnr 20/1
His two-iron over water to five feet at the Belfry in 1989 ranks as one of the great shots under pressure in the history of golf.

But he is no longer a full time tour player and while he continues to campaign vigourously for the job, he would always be second favourite to a Major winner such as Woosnam or Faldo.

He said: “I have not dropped the idea of being captain. I am not out of the equation, and no one has told me that I am dropped. I filled in my forms a long time ago.”

(Q School Irish to battle on)

Q-School battler s Richie Coughlan and Keith Nolan have vowed to battle on in their bid for tour glory in the US.

The Irish pair failed miserably in the six-round marathon at La Quinta with Coughlan finishing in 126th place and Nolan a miserable 163rd.

But despite their disappointment, Ireland’s former Walker Cup stars are determined to go for it again next year.

Coughlan said: “I played c**p. The PGA West Stadium Course was brutal - one of the top two or three toughest golf courses that I have played.

“I never got comfortable over a shot because all the pins were tucked. Had it going on the second day but dropped a few coming in.

“Now I am in the same sort of situation as last year. I have to go out in the early Nationwide events, get some money on the board and try to get fully exempt for the rest of the year.

“I’ll recharge the batteries and I’ll be back again next year, have no fear.”

Nolan had a torrid time, crashing to last place after three days in the wake of rounds of 82 and 83 at West Stadium.

He said: “Even though I played really bad the second day I still wanted to keep going. My goal was just to beat one person over the last three days so I could improve my ranking. And that’s what I did. I beat one guy.

“I was in last place after three days but I have a lot of pride in my golf game and the last thing I was going to do was give up.

“What doesn’t kill me is making me stronger, is the away I look at it and I will be back again. I made it to the finals this year but I just didn’t have it. It was embarrassing more than anything else.

“I know I am not that bad. There is two things you can do. Keep fighting or quit.”

Both men have conditional cards for the Nationwide Tour and need to play well in the early season events in Panama, Australia and New Zealand to climb the list and become fully exempt.

Nolan added: “I still have a conditional Nationwide Card so I am going to get ready for the event in Panama on January 24. I may not get into the events in Australia and NEw Zealand but when the tour comes back to mainland USA I’m going to try and Monday pre-qualify.”

Air miles record for Harrington

Padraig Harrington is World No 1 at last - for his incredible air-miles.

Despite claims that Ernie Els the world’s most travelled golfer, research reveals that Harrington is actually the daddy of them all.

The Big Easy racked up up 82,140 air miles compared to figures of around 40,000 miles for Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods and Retief Goosen.

Masters champion and World No 5 Phil Mickelson only managed 23,615 miles.

But after a year in which he visited nine different countries, Harrington clocked up an amazing 99,810 miles.

Add in the occasional trip to Largs in Scotland for visits to his coach Bob Torrance and Harrington is well over 100,000 miles for the year - the equivalent of four trips around the world.

No wonder he is looking forward to nine weeks off over the winter.

Harrington’s year in the air
Dublin - Kuala Lumpur 6773
Kuala Lumpur - Carlsbad 8783
Carlsbad - Dubai 8318
Dubai - Dublin 3673
Dublin - Jacksonville Florida 3984
Jacksonville - Atlanta 289
Atlanta - Augusta 136
Augusta - Dublin 3845
Dublin - Macao, China 6124
Macao - Shanghai 767
Shanghai - Heidelberg 5508
Heidelberg - Dublin 697
Dublin - Dublin, Ohio 3570
Ohio - New York 477
New York - Southampton, NY 30
New York - Dublin 3179
Dublin - Troon 190
Troon - Drogheda 168
Dublin - Wisconsin 3672
Wisconsin - Akron 427
Akron - Munich 4317
Munich - Dublin 855
Dublin - Cologne 583
Cologne - Dublin 583
Dublin - Woburn 256
Woburn - Kilkenny 289
Kilkenny - St Andrews 280
St Andrews - Wentworth 332
Wentworth - Dublin 288
Dublin - Malaga 1151
Malaga - Dublin 1151
Dublin - Atlanta 3924
Atlanta - Dublin 3924
Dublin - Seville 1102
Seville - Korea 6453
Korea - Hong Kong 1306
Hong Kong - California 7244
California - Dublin 5162

38 trips 99,810 miles