PAUL LAWRIE knows he is heading for the doors of the last chance saloon as far as his Ryder Cup ambitions are concerned.

But the former Open champion refuses to write off his outside hopes of making Paul McGinley's European team for September's clash with the USA at Gleneagles.

Lawrie, one of the heroes of Europe's Miracle of Medinah in 2012, has endured a frustrating campaign that has been hampered by injury and a lack of form.

The Aberdonian is well out of the qualifying points race and would realistically need a captain's call-up from McGinley.

Events are running out, however, but with this week's Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen being followed by The Open at Hoylake, Lawrie is hoping to conjure a final push and force his way into the Ryder Cup reckoning.

He said: "I'm certainly not in the position I would have liked to have been in, coming in to the Scottish Open as far as Ryder Cup selection is concerned. On the whole, I haven't played anywhere near good enough to get in the team.

"But the Scottish Open and The Open are two of the biggest weeks and it's my job now to try and knock off some form, get going before the end of qualifying and give Paul a little bit of a headache.

"I'm miles down the list at the moment and it would take an unbelievable effort to get in the team now. But I haven't given up. I'm a professional and if it requires me to knock off The Open or the Scottish Open, well you just don't know."

McGinley, who was at Lawrie's Golf Centre yesterday for a fund-raising challenge match, added: "Automatically it is difficult for him, but I've got three picks and Paul is obviously an option.

"Paul's pedigree is there, he just has to show some form. His window is closing, we all know that, but he's got these two big weeks now."