And so the hour is nigh. The shape of Europe's Ryder Cup side will be known on Sunday evening when Colin Montgomerie adds his shapely wildcard selections to the nine players qualifying automatically for the team.
A lot of water has passed under the bridge in the 20 months since Montgomerie was appointed captain of the European side, but murky waters remain regarding the best three men available to enhance Europe to winning effect at Celtic Manor in early October. This has all become a slightly vexed debate.
Depending on who you talk to, the whole issue is pretty much an open and shut case. Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Luke Donald and Justin Rose will all require a wildcard due to their insistence on playing in the FedExCup series in the US this week, rather than following the roads and miles to the scenic Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in Perthshire.
The Johnnie Walker begins on Thursday and is the final counting event towards qualifying automatically for the European side. The FedEx Cup is only for personal fortune and glory, which makes it seem a little odd that Harrington, Casey, Donald or Rose, all of whom have declared themselves available for Europe, are shying away from Gleneagles when they knew it could come down to such an outcome.
One of the quartet - maybe more - will be left disappointed when Montgomerie reveals his hand. And they have nothing to beat Monty up about if he decides to look elsewhere, having failed to play their way on to the side.
These 'selection Sundays' can be emotional affairs for captains and candidates alike. It is easy to recall Thomas Bjorn spouting some wild rhetoric towards Ian Woosman after the European Cup captain opted for Darren Clarke instead of the Dane in 2006.
Bjorn apologised a day after claiming his friendship with Woosnam was "completely dead". There may be no similar shenanigans on Sunday, but somebody will be left feeling a bit peeved, of that there is no doubt.
The smart money suggests there is a straight choice for the third pick between the English players Donald and Rose, who has won twice on the US Tour this year, but odd things could yet happen.
The pedigree of Harrington as a triple Major winner and the distance of Casey, vital elements in foursomes and fourballs, suggests they will be the first two names Montgomerie will opt for. But it is a risky policy of all four players to leave such a decision to fate.
Monty initially said he would not choose any player who did not play in the final counting event at Gleneagles, but he would be cutting off his nose to spite his face, and probably damage team morale, if he ignored all four. Despite trying to predict Monty's mindset, there remains room for the Scot to introduce an element of foresight to his choices.
He recently said that Bernhard Langer would be considered an option because of his enduring class and alertness at the age of 53 in winning senior Majors in Britain and the US last month within the space of eight days.
Fellow German Martin Kaymer's victory in the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits will surely have strengthened Langer's credentials if Monty is imagining what combinations would work well for Europe in foursomes. Kaymer and Langer would be a sturdy pairing.
Or will he be tempted to unite the Molinari brothers in Ryder Cup harmony with Edoardo attempting to join Francesco in the team? Francesco is seventh among the automatic qualifiers and won the World Cup for Italy last season. In envisaging winning partnerships, perhaps Montgomerie will decide to garnish his side with brotherly love?
Peter Hanson's resilient win at the Czech Open on Sunday has strengthened the Swedish player's hopes of claiming an automatic place in the side. He is up to eighth in the standings with the evergreen Miguel Angel Jimenez in the final ninth place before Gleneagles.
Jimenez has cancelled plans to attend a wedding on Saturday rather than play at Gleneagles as he tries to fasten down his place in the team.
Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson are surely out of the picture for a pick. Garcia is woefully short of the required levels and has gone on holiday while Stenson, apart from a brief flirtation with form at The Open, has found this season a testing one.
Robert Karlsson was a success when Europe lost in the US two years ago, and remains available to Montgomerie this time.
Simon Dyson, Ross McGowan and Alvaro Quiros could yet force their way into the side, but need high finishes at Gleanagles.
As well as playing and picking this week, Montgomerie is tournament chairman at Gleneagles. History suggests he will need to be as ruthless and single-minded as Chairman Mao when choosing what he feels will work best for this particular set of European hopefuls.
Top nine in European Ryder Cup points table before Gleneagles: Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Francesco Molinari, Peter Hanson and Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Player of the week: Has to be India's Arjun Atwal after his stunning victory at the Wyndham Championship. He became the first qualifier to win on the US PGA Tour in 24 years and the first Indian player to win on that tour.
Shot of the week: Peter Hanson was under real pressure to win the Czech Open to keep alive his hopes of playing in the Ryder Cup. He responded like a Ryder Cup player by draining a birdie at the second extra with a magnificent putt from 18 foot. Not much one may think, but this came after he endured three successive bogeys on the front nine of his final round.
Quote of the week: "I told my caddie, 'We've got nothing to lose this week. Just go out there and try and win it. Guys are going to be out there trying to secure their FedExCup spots or whatever. We've got nothing. I don't have a card. I don't have anything. Just go out there and free-wheel it, and that's what I did this week." Arjun Atwal describes his mood ahead of winning the Wyndham Championship.
Rankings: Not much change in the leading positions. Tiger Woods has been number one for the past 272 weeks in a total of 614 weeks in top spot. Arjun Atwal jumps 268 positions to 182 after his win in the US. Peter Hanson moves from 49 to 40 after his win at the Czech Open.