Yeah yeah, I know. Too soon. But have you seen the European Tour lately? 

First & Foremost: Francesco

I was following Francesco Molinari at the BMW PGA Championship when he made that Saturday surge around Wentworth and I can assure you that I wasn't the only one thinking about Team Europe. The man oozed class. To win over a crowd is one thing, but to win it over from Rory McIlroy is another. He did exactly that. I wasn't at the Italian Open the following week, but when the Italian made that incredible birdie putt on Sunday's final hole I'm pretty sure I heard the crowd from my sofa in England. He ultimately missed out on back-to-back titles by a single stroke to Thorbjorn Olesen, but his ability to raise his game when the stakes are raised is a promising sign. Consecutive Rolex Series events- offering extra Race to Dubai points and increased prize money- coincided with inflated Ryder Cup Ranking points (multiplied by 1.5 from PGA Championship until Made in Denmark) and Molinari took full advantage. He now leads the European Rankings.

Making the Cut

Rafa Cabrera-Bello's fourth-placed finish in the Italian Open saw him replace fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia in the sixth automatic qualifying spot. Tyrrell Hatton conceded pole position to Molinari but still sits comfortably in second, with Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy filling the other two spots available through European Points. Cabrera-Bello is currently joined in qualifying through World Points by Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood and Alex Noren.

Fleetwood is yet to repliacte his 2017 form this year, but given how good he was en route to last season's Race to Dubai title it would be almost unimaginable for him not to be in France come September. Similarly, English compatriot Hatton hasn't had much to write home about since his T3 at the WGC-Mexico. His last victory came at the 2017 Italian Open and he marked the one year anniversary at last week's tournament with a third consecutive missed cut. I hate to say it, but Hatton's decline in form just so happens to clash with his improved discipline. You would hope that there is another way to find the spark without the aggression, but I'm not counting on it. Alex Noren has registered four top-3 finishes in 2018 but is without a win in over a year (2017 BMW PGA Championship) so, like Fleetwood and Hatton, the Swede needs to step it up to maintain his position.

Rose, Rahm and Rory sit in third, fourth and sixth in the world respectively, so it's difficult to see a scenario in which any of them don't make it.

In the Hunt

Surpise surprise, Ian Poulter is racing towards a Ryder Cup place. Not much more than a year ago, Poults sat outside the Top 200 in the world. Now, he's giving the Top 20 a run for their money. Red-hot form when it mattered most is what made the match-play master so popular in Europe, and he tapped into that for his win at the Houston Open to qualify for The Masters in dramatic fashion. I can only see him improving from hereon in.

I've already mentioned that Garcia and Olesen sit just outside the qualifying spots, but they both have a lot of work to do to maintain a charge for the automatic places. England's Ross Fisher is in the same boat, with his T8 at the PGA Championship just his second Top 30 finish in 2018. Finally, Paul Casey. Much was made of the Englishman opting to join the European Tour and secure eligibility, but his Valspar Championship win is the only title he's picked up since 2014. He may be consistent, but he needs more firepower to win on the big stage.

Reasons for Optimism

The States boast an incredible array of talent, but the European Tour is peaking at just the right moment and there is an understandable buzz about the array of talent with renowned superstars and emerging starlets alike. A lot can and will change between now and September, but Le Golf National will play host to a hell of a Ryder Cup. That much is certain.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com