Rory McIlroy's place on the Ryder Cup team may still be a long way off, but the talented teenager's thrilling win in the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday will certainly keep him on Colin Montgomerie's radar.
The 19-year-old held his nerve to claim his maiden professional win at Emirates Golf Club, only five days after new Ryder Cup captain Montgomerie picked him out as a candidate for the contest at Celtic Manor.
The qualification process only begins at the European Masters at the start of September, where McIlroy lost a play-off last year, and the Ulsterman will be confident of another solid display at Crans-sur-Sierre.
"The campaign has not started yet. It starts in Switzerland again, a place I like going to, and I just have to keep improving and playing golf and just put myself in a position to win," said the new world number 14.
"If I'm able to do that more weeks than not then I'll obviously have a good chance of getting on the team."
The leaderboard in Dubai will have made pleasant viewing for Montgomerie with Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer, Paul Casey and Robert Karlsson making up the remainder of the top six, with Sergio Garcia, Alvaro Quiros and Ross Fisher also inside the top 15.
McIlroy, who had recorded three top-five finishes in his previous five outings, will next undertake a busy schedule in America before he returns to Europe for May's Irish Open at Baltray.
He is set to play at the two upcoming World Golf Championship events in Arizona and Florida as well as the Honda Classic and Houston Open before The Masters and the Verizon Heritage in South Carolina prior to The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
"I think the world is getting so small that a lot of guys manage easily to play a little bit on both Tours and that's what I would like to do, sort of juggle the time in between," he added.
"Obviously we have the Race to Dubai which is huge. I just have to weigh it up and try and find the right balance to play events that you like to play in Europe and then play the ones you like in the States."
McIlroy's win also elevated him to second in the Race to Dubai standings behind world number two Garcia.
McILROY IN CONTROL IN DUBAI
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