We are going to have a very strong team

Olazábal will then add two Captain's picks to complete the 12-man team that will defend the Ryder Cup against the United States.

Olazábal said: "I am very pleased that the Tournament Committee has agreed to my request. The only reason that I asked for a change in the criteria is because I believe that it will give me the strongest team possible to defend The Ryder Cup.

"I looked over the last few qualification processes, going back to 2004, and was satisfied that my proposal would give me the strongest team on paper. We are going to have a very strong team but I just felt that this would give the team the best chance to keep The Ryder Cup and that is what we all want.

"At the end of the day, it is the players who are the stars and it is the players who hit the shots and win the points to win The Ryder Cup. I would like to thank the committee for their support and I hope that this is the first step to us retaining The Ryder Cup in 2012."