SANDY LYLE PROFILE Age: 47 Ryder Cup caps: 5 (1979-1987) Match wins: 2 (1985, 1987) Record: Played 16 Won 7 Lost 9, Halved 2

Lyle missed out to Bernhard Langer in 2004, and was ignored again on Wednesday when Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo were named for 2006 and 2008.

The 47-year-old Scot said: "Basically that's it for me now, I think.

"I don't know why they have done two in one fell swoop - there's a lot of water to flow under the bridge yet."

The European Tour's Ryder Cup committee broke with tradition when it named the next two captains.

"Very strange," said Lyle. "I can't see the reason for it."

Lyle also said he had little chance of being asked to act as one of Woosnam's assistants at the K Club next year.

"[Woosnam] has already said there's going to be a vice-captain from Ireland and I think his two strongest pals are DJ Russell and Peter Baker," he said.

I thought, with Langer being captain, I had a chance to vice-captain, or even vice-vice-captain Sandy Lyle More Ryder Cup reaction

"I'll have to fill in some divot holes for him on the practice range."

This week's Ryder Cup announcement is just the latest case of bad news for the English-born veteran, who slid down the leaderboard at the Dubai Desert Classic on Thursday when he double-bogeyed the par-five 18th.

An amateur star, Lyle continued his winning ways after turning professional in 1977 and at Royal St George's in 1985 became the first Briton to win the Open since Tony Jacklin in 1969.

Woosnam and Faldo are the best men for the job, and Lyle should support them From GB Have your say on Five Live

When a 30-year-old Lyle became the first British golfer to win the Masters in 1988, it seemed more major titles were his for the taking.

But his form deserted him and he has now not won an event since 1992.

Lyle's decline was underlined in 2003 when, after returning from an unsuccessful spell in the US, he lost his full playing privileges on the European Tour by finishing 145th on the Order of Merit.

The 2004 Ryder Cup captaincy decision also went against him when the Oakland Hills mission was handed to Langer.

Europe win Ryder Cup

Speaking soon after Europe's crushing victory at the Detroit course, Lyle admitted to being upset that the German had not tried to involve him in any way.

"I thought, with Langer being captain, I had a chance to vice-captain, or even vice-vice-captain," he said.

"If I had been in his position, I would have thought, 'Sandy has a good chance of being captain one day, so he should be included'.

"Then he goes and appoints Joakim Haeggman and whoever else it was. It doesn't make sense."

American challenge excites Faldo

And Lyle's chances of being asked to join Faldo's team for the 2008 contest at Valhalla are slim as the two former rivals have never been particularly close.

Faldo once courted controversy by reporting Lyle for illegally taping his putter in a tournament in Kenya.