THE first players to qualify for the Seve Trophy 2005 at The Wynyard Club will be confirmed next week.

The leading four Great Britain and Ireland and Continental Europe players from the official world rankings on Monday, September 5 will qualify to take up automatic places in Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal's teams.

With just six days before these names are confirmed, a host of the European Tour's biggest stars are still jostling the 18 places open.

As it stands, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald, Darren Clarke and David Howell occupy the Great Britain and Ireland berths, with Sergio Garcia, Thomas Bjorn, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Henrik Stenson the Continental Europeans in pole position via the world rankings.

Howell's wonderful win at the BMW International Open last weekend has pushed him into an automatic place with his rise up the world rankings to 22nd spot.

Victory for Howell ended a six-year wait for his second tour title. He had come agonisingly close to winning again on several occasions since landing the Dubai Desert Classic in 1999.

But a final round 65 in Munich for a 23 under par total ended the drought and pushed the Ryder Cup star into an automatic place.

Howell has played in two previous Seve Trophy contests - at Sunningdale in 2000 and at El Saler, Valencia, in 2003 - and has won an impressive five points from a possible seven.

The full Seve Trophy teams will be confirmed after the Linde German Masters on September 11.

The leading four Great British and Irish players and Continental Europeans on the European Tour Order of Merit, who haven't qualified via the world rankings, will make it into Montgomerie and Olazabal's teams next Sunday evening.

The captains - who will both play in the tournament - will then each have one wildcard selection to complete their line-ups.

Ashington's Kenneth Ferrie is on the fringes of automatic qualification through the order of merit, lying in 21st place with 741,080 Euros to his name, while Hartlepool's Graeme Strom is in 29th spot having accumulated 605,439 Euros during his best season on tour.

Storm is seeking an 11th hour boost to his Seve Trophy chances with a high finish at this week's Omega European Masters in Switzerland.

l Tee-off times for the Seve Trophy have been confirmed as 10.35am on September 22 and 23. Play will begin at 7.50am on Saturday, September 24 and at 11.15am on Sunday 25.

The pro-am on September 21 will begin at 10.30am.

l Tickets for the Seve Trophy are available via the Seve Trophy website www.sevetrophy2005.com or at www.ticketmaster.co.uk and can also be booked through a ticket hotline telephone number 0870 602 1121.