If this week is anything like last week, Denmark's Soren Hansen has more agonies to go through before he knows whether he has achieved his Ryder Cup dream.
"I must like torture," said Hansen on Sunday after achieving the sixth-place finish at the KLM Open which lifted him from 10th to ninth on the cup points table for the European team.
Far from it being plain sailing, the 34-year-old had to battle back from a double bogey at the start of his second and final rounds and from a triple-bogey eight on the second hole of his third round.
He added: "It was like a big knock on the head each day, but I really battled and now I'm very close to something I really want."
He has moved on to the final counting event, the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, which starts on Thursday. The top 10 at the end of it on Sunday will qualify for Nick Faldo's side.
"You learn a lot about yourself playing under this pressure. I was really hoping to get the job done in the States earlier this month, but it's come down to this," he said.
"It's going to be interesting. The team is looking really, really strong and at the end of the day I hope I can be a part of it."
England's Oliver Wilson was the player Hansen relegated to 10th spot on the standings. The gap is just over Ј28,000, but more importantly Hansen is Ј42,000 clear of 11th-placed Martin Kaymer - a week ago that was Ј213 - almost Ј102,000 ahead of Ross Fisher and more than Ј170,000 in front of Nick Dougherty.
With Ian Poulter controversially staying in America Kaymer, Fisher and Dougherty are the only three players who can still force themselves into the top 10.
Only a top-two finish at the weekend will give Dougherty a chance, however, while Fisher needs third at worst and Kaymer 26th.
To make things even more interesting, Hansen and Fisher will go head-to-head in the first two rounds.
European Open champion Fisher is taking the "one shot at a time" attitude.
"I've said all along the Ryder Cup is not on my mind," he said. "Everybody harps on about it, but I'm not thinking about it.
"I am thinking about Gleneagles and once that's out of the way I will think about it - if I am on the team.
"As long as I give it 100% that's all I can ask."
Dougherty, of course, has the toughest task. A runner-up finish in Sweden two weeks ago re-ignited his hopes after a slump understandably triggered by his mother's death from a heart attack in April, but he then missed the cut in Holland.
Justin Rose is not yet sure of his cup place at eighth on the table - but he is almost there.
Three players have to go past to deny him and even if he was to miss the halfway cut, Dougherty would have to win, Fisher be in the top two, Kaymer the top five, Wilson seventh or better and Hansen the top 28.
As for the wild cards, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley - first and second on Sunday - and Colin Montgomerie all play to try to advance their claims.
Poulter and Paul Casey, meanwhile, are both in the States, but the second leg of the FedEx Cup play-offs does not start until Friday.
Only the second round will be complete there when Faldo announces his two picks.
Additional UEFA Cup berth for Bundesliga
RYDER WOE FOR DOUGHERTY
