Shane Lowry has been given a captain's pick by Padraig Harrington and will play for Europe against the USA in the 2021 Ryder Cup.

The Offaly native endured a nervous wait to get the nod after failing to qualify automatically at the BMW PGA Championship.

Needing a top eight finish, Lowry could only card a 1 under par round of 71 on a benign day for scoring at Wentworth and finished seven shots behind the winner, American Billy Horschel.

However, Lowry has had a decent season, finishing in the top 12 of the Open Championship, US PGA and Players Championship.

Those finishes in big tournaments, the prospect of an all-Irish pairing with Rory McIlroy and the suitability of the links style Whistling Straits course may have tipped the decision in Shane Lowry's favour.

Winning the Open Championship at Portrush in 2019 also would have done the 34-year-old no harm.

Harrington has selected Spain's Sergio Garcia and England's Ian Poulter as the other wildcards.

Another Englishman, Justin Rose, was the one to miss out.

Austrian Bernd Wiesberger and England's Lee Westwood qualified automatically at Wentworth.

The team of 12 is completed by Rory McIlroy, world number one Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, Paul Casey, Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick.

Shane Lowry has never played in a Ryder Cup before.

Europe will defend the trophy they won in Paris in 2018 against the United States in Wisconsin from September 24th to 26th.

Earlier this week, American captain Steve Stricker finalised his team, in which there was no place for Patrick Reed.

The American team is Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Harris English, Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth.

Europe have not won on American soil since the 'Miracle of Medinah' back in 2012.