McGowan - first reserve.

England's Ross McGowan, currently sixth in the European Ryder Cup table, is waiting to discover if there is any chance of him playing in this week's WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.

McGowan is now up to first reserve after the withdrawal of Masters champion Angel Cabrera from the 78-strong field and the cancellation of the US Tour's Viking Classic.

Ian Poulter's win in the Singapore Open did not help the Surrey golfer, though. Poulter was already exempt for China but the spot opened by that went to the Asian Tour and their first reserve was Thailand's Chapchai Nirat.

This is a huge week both for the European Order of Merit race and the Ryder Cup points battle.

Now the tournament has become part of the World Golf Championships series, the first prize is more than £722,000, while the 68 world ranking points that could be on offer are more than anyone has managed in the first two months of Ryder Cup qualifying.