Alex Noren moved himself right into to contention early in the race for the European Ryder Cup team after the Swede’s impressive links performance at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, while Austria’s Sepp Straka also threw his hat into the ring after coming close to a second PGA TOUR title of the season.

Noren runner-up spot with Englishman Callum Shinkwin who can also now set his sights firmly on making it into Luke Donald’s team for Rome 2023.

The ten-time DP World Tour winner, who famously holed a monster putt on the final green in the last match of Europe’s winning 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National, carded three successive 69s in Scotland after opening with a 67 to share second place with Englishman Callum Shinkwin, behind winner Ryan Fox of New Zealand.

That meant Noren entered the European Points List for the first time in ninth position, but more importantly for the 40-year-old who plays much of his golf on the PGA TOUR, he moved up to eighth position in the World Points list – having risen to 50th position in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Noren played in the last winning Ryder Cup team four years ago, winning two points out of three for Thomas Bjørn’s team including a memorable Singles victory over Bryson DeChambeau.

Shinkwin, who won the team Pro-Am section of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship alongside Alex Alex Acquavella, moved up 72 places in the European Points List to eighth – the Englishman continuing the form which earned him a maiden DP World Tour title at the Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale in August.

Four-time Major winner McIlroy contended once again at St Andrews after the Northern Irishman lit up the Old Course on the final day with stunning 66, his second in succession over the weekend at the Home of Golf.

A share of third position elevated him above MacIntrye in the World Points List, and the 14-time DP World Tour winner now sits in second place behind Shane Lowry, a Rolex Series winner at the recent BMW PGA Championship which was the opening tournament of the points race for Rome.

MacIntyre did, however, have some consolation after his tied 28th finish on home soil edged him ahead of recent Cazoo Open de France champion Guido Migliozzi.

In the USA, Straka lost out on the second play-off hole to Mackenzie Hughes at the Sanderson Farms Championship, but his runner-up finish meant he entered the World Points List in sixth position as he targets a Ryder Cup debut in Rome.