Stephen Gallacher has set himself the double goal of making Europe's Ryder Cup team and securing PGA Tour membership.
Gallacher is $194,792 short of 125th place on the PGA Tour money list and the cut-off point for retaining full membership for the 2014/15 wraparound schedule is August 17.
It is why the 39-year-old Scot sought an invitation - he received one - to contest the $5.3m Wyndham Championship being played in Greensboro, North Carolina, starting on August 14, the week after next week's US PGA Championship.
Gallacher has the $9m WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, which starts tomorrow, the $10m PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, and now the Wyndham Championship to secure an 'unofficial' place in the top 125 and be eligible for 'Temporary PGA Tour Membership'.
"I thought to myself that, given I am so close to being in the top 125 on the money list over here, I might as well try to secure my PGA Tour card," he said. "If I have a decent three weeks, I can become a member of the Tour, and it's another option for me.
"Since I retained my Omega Dubai Desert Classic title earlier this year, I've been inside the top 50 on the world rankings which has allowed me to play in all these bigger events."
Uppermost in Gallacher's mind, though, is securing a place on Europe's Ryder Cup team.
Gallacher has arrived in Akron just two places outside of the top nine who will earn automatic places in Paul McGinley's side. "Qualifying for the Ryder Cup has been my goal for nearly two years now and nothing has changed," said Gallacher. "Like trying to secure my PGA Tour, I have the opportunity by playing well this week and next week at the PGA Championship; that's all I can do."
Gallacher is making only his third appearance in the Bridgestone Invitational and is the only Scot in the 77-player event - there is no halfway cut - where Tiger Woods, the holder, will be aiming to capture the title for a ninth occasion. He had last week off after finishing close to last place in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
With just two events remaining for the 38-year old to earn a place on the USA Ryder Cup team, Woods is determined to ensure that the captain Tom Watson does not have to use one of his 'wildcard' picks on him.
"I would like to win these two events and not have to worry about a thing," said Woods. "That's the plan; that's the mind-set; we'll see how the balls. Hopefully I can qualify for the [FedEx Cup] Play-offs and then play well for those four weeks."
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