NORTH-EAST duo Graeme Storm and Kenneth Ferrie are rivals for the final place in Colin Montgomerie's Seve Trophy team to face the rest of Europe next week - but could be overlooked for Paul Casey's inclusion.

All three were at the Linde German Masters in Cologne yesterday and Nick Dougherty's second place finish - just edging out Ferrie - has left the door wide open for Montgomerie's wild card selection for Great Britain and Ireland.

Storm remains the outsider despite being the most familiar with The Wynyard course, while Ashington's Ferrie was remaining hopeful last night that he could be hearing from the captain.

Ferrie's last-ditch attempt to overtake Dougherty in Germany and in the European Order of Merit proved in vain after having to settle for a closing 67 and a share of tenth at Gut Larchenhof.

And the 26-year-old hopes to have beaten off the challenge from Casey, who is the most likely to receive the call-up for the Seve Trophy on September 22-25, and finished seventh yesterday.

"I suppose I had a chance to qualify outright like Nick has but I missed a few chances and made a couple of silly bogeys coming in. Hopefully I might get a call giving me some good news," said Ferrie.

Ferrie had been just £5,000 shy of Dougherty in the Order of Merit going in to the German Masters but it was the latter's heroics on the final day that clinched the fourth automatic berth from the Order of Merit.

The other three places are taken by Stephen Dodd, Bradley Dredge and Ian Poulter, and they will join Padraig Harrington, David Howell, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell in the Britain and Ireland team. Montgomerie's wild card is named named today.

Peter Hanson, Maarten Lafeber, Jean-Francois Remesy and Emanuele Canonica are the players to have earned a place on Continental Europe team, and Jose Maria Olazabal will also name his wild card today.

Dougherty is delighted he will get the chance to play for the £1.5m purse at The Wynyard having shot a final round 68 in Germany - although he finished one shot behind winner Retief Goosen.

''I feel I could have won but I didn't play all that well,'' said the 23-year-old.

"But I had a lot of things on my plate at the start of the week, a lot of things to accomplish, and I have done so I am very pleased.

"One of those was the Seve Trophy of course and I am absolutely delighted to have confirmed my place in the team.''

Hartlepool's Storm finished ten adrift of Goosen in tied 26th place. He had a steady four days and carded 70, two under, on both the weekend's play and earned a little over £20,000.

Published: 12/09/2005