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VIRGINIA WATER, England -- Why mess with success? The Europeans will choose their team for the 2008 Ryder Cup using the same system that produced the record victories over the United States in 2004 and 2006, European Ryder Cup officials announced on Friday.

The 2008 Ryder Cup is set for Sept. 19-21 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

Five players will again qualify through The Ryder Cup World Points List, based on World Ranking points accumulated from all world-ranked tournaments over a 12-month period in 2007-2008. Another five will earn their spots through The Ryder Cup European Points List, based on money won in European Tour Order of Merit tournaments.

European Captain Nick Faldo then will complete the 12-man line-up by selecting two captain's picks at the conclusion of the qualification process.

"I am delighted to endorse the decision to continue with a selection process which has proved successful on both sides of the Atlantic, at Oakland Hills in 2004 and The K Club in 2006," said Faldo. "There is a well-used expression: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it, ' and I feel that it applies in this instance.

"By using the World Ranking and the Order of Merit as the principal means to determine the 10 qualifiers, I am confident that Europe will have the nucleus of a highly competitive side, so allowing me sufficient freedom to make my two captain's picks."

After the 2006 loss, the United States revamped its selection process for 2008 so that only the top eight players in its points standings will receive automatic berths, with Captain Paul Azinger selecting the final four players. The Americans previously had awarded 10 automatic spots.

European players, to be eligible under any of the criteria, must be full members of the European Tour.

This will be the third time that the Official World Golf Ranking and The European Tour Order of Merit have been employed to determine the 10 automatic places on the European team, officials said. At Oakland Hills in 2004 and again at The K Club in 2006, European teams determined by this system won by identical 18 ½-9 ½ margins.

The Ryder Cup World Points List includes world ranking points that European Tour members accumulate in officially sanctioned tournaments starting with the Omega European Masters (Sept. 6-9, 2007) and Aug. 25, 2008, and thereafter in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, which concludes on Aug. 31, 2008.

The Ryder Cup European Points List is based on one point per euro earned in all officially sanctioned European Tour events in that same time period.

In 2008, the final counting event will be the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, the Scottish resort that also will host the 2014 Ryder Cup. Between 1997 and 2006, the BMW International Open in Munich hosted the final qualifying tournament, but its move to a June date has necessitated the change.

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