Paul Lawrie’s hopes of playing in the Ryder Cup may be remote but the former Open champion is remaining optimistic that he can play some kind of role in Darren Clarke’s back room team during this year’s match with the US at Hazeltine.

While the focus at this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is on the showdown between Jordan Spieth, the world No 1, and Rory McIlroy, the world No 3, Lawrie briefly allowed himself to look forward to September when Clarke’s European side will defend the Ryder Cup on American soil.

The 47-year-old, who is now in his 25th season on the European Tour, is a veteran of two Ryder Cup campaigns in 1999 and 2012 and the Aberdonian believes his experience and, importantly, his rapport with Clarke could stand him in good stead when the Northern Irishman gets round to appointing his five vice-captains.

“To be there as a player would take a hell of an achievement, and I am not saying you can’t do it, but from where I am now would require me to win two to three big, big events,” said Lawrie, who is joined in the Middle East this week by a number of Scots including the world No 31, Russell Knox. “So it would be a bit of a stretch to qualify automatically. But then as far as being a vice-captain then that’s up to Darren to decide

“I would love to help him if he wants me to do it. I am not saying he has or he will but then you would not say ‘no’ to that and nobody would.

“I do think he needs people who have been there before and if not for anything else, just someone to speak to even though I don’t think anyone is going to be making decisions for him. He’s the captain and the guy who in the end, has to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

“The good thing is Darren and I have always got on and we both came onto the tour about the same time, as he began in 1991 and I started full time a year later. Whenever we play we always have a good time so we’ll see.”

As well as Spieth and McIlroy, the first event of the lucrative ‘Desert Swing’ also features Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson and former winner Martin Kaymer.

Knox, meanwhile, gets the chances to impress Ryder Cup skipper Clarke having been grouped with him for the first two rounds.