By Jason Hughes, PA International

Bernhard Langer insists he should be in the European Ryder Cup team after finishing third at the Open.

The German has moved up to 14th in the points list but is still four places outside of the automatic choices.

And with spending most of his time on the US Tour, the veteran of nine Ryder Cups knows he will probably have to rely on a wild-card pick from captain Sam Torrance to be at the Belfry in September.

The 43-year-old said: "I hope this sends Sam another message after my performance in Memphis (where he finished second in the FedEx St Jude Classic).

"I was also best European in the Masters, I was second best here and I was best in the fifth Major which is the Tournament Players Championship.

"So I was very much at the top of European golf in three of the biggest events we have played this year.

"I've had other good performances so hopefully he will consider me if I don't make my way straight in.

"I understand that other guys are playing well but with my form I believe I should be there.

"But it's a difficult situation and I do not have many tournaments left to go."

Langer had to withdraw from last week's Scottish Open with a back problem. And the injury, which almost forced him to miss his 24th Championship, was so bad that he had to stop every hour on the drive down from Loch Lomond because of the pain.

But he bounced back this week to card rounds of 71, 69, 67 and 71 and record his sixth top-three Open finish, four shots behind winner David Duval.

"I was very happy to be playing in the Championship after last week and then to be in contention in the final group with David I was even more pleased," said Langer.

"But it was great to be there. That is what we practise for all these years.

"I felt very good and very comfortable but I just couldn't get the ball close enough.

"I shot one over on the par fives which is what really killed me. "If I'd got two or three under it would have been a different story."