BLACKWOOD'S Bradley Dredge is back in action this week at the BMW International Open in Munich, but all eyes will be on the race to clinch a place in Europe's Ryder Cup squad.

Darren Clarke, Lee West-wood, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Sergio Garcia and Thomas Levet have all booked spots in Bernhard Langer's side, but four spots remain up for grabs with just this weeks tournament remaining.

Forty-four qualification events may already have passed, but amazingly nine players can theoretically still seal an automatic berth in the European side.

Paul Casey is as good as guaranteed one of these four spots, but the other three slots are still being contested as fiercely as they were 18 months ago.

English duo Ian Poulter and David Howell currently occupy eighth and ninth spot and Ireland's Paul McGinley is in tenth, but all three of them can still be caught.

Jean-Francois Remesy, Joackim Haeggman, Freddie Jacobson, Brian Davis, Raphael Jacquelin and Graeme McDowell are the men doing the chasing, in what will surely be a dramatic tournament.

The International Open has also thrown up the most intriguing of pairings as two men who cannot qualify, Colin Montgomerie and Luke Donald, will battle head-to-head.

Both of these players are considered the favourites to get the two wild-card berths in the squad, which will be announced by Langer on Sunday evening.

Montgomerie, Europe's top scorer two years ago, has this week re-united himself with his former caddie Alastair McLean, the man who carried his bag during his seven-years at the top of the Order of Merit. And Montgomerie is hoping that McLean can boost his stuttering form.

He explained: "It's nice to have him back on the bag, and if I am picked he will be a bonus for the whole team. "If I am selected then great, but if I'm not well, that's it. All that's in Bernhard's mind is 14 points and who can most help him get them."

Haeggman and Jacobson, the two ice-cool Swedes vying for an automatic spot, could get the nod from Langer should they fail to qualify by right, which could mean Montgomerie missing out altogether.

US Open winner Retief Goosen, is fit again after a jet-ski accident and he will play alongside American John Daly, which is likely to boost the crowds.

Meanwhile, Dredge tees off at 12.55 alongside Gregory Havret and Peter Fowler after a two-week rest.