Poulter confident of securing Ryder Cup spot

IAN POULTER is confident of strengthening his Ryder Cup bid with a third Italian Open win in five years in Milan.

Poulter is playing his first regular European Tour event since early March after five tournaments in America recently, where he made the cut four times, including on his US Masters debut.

He currently lies in the seventh automatic qualifying place for Bernhard Langer's European team which will defend the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills in September.