Darren Clarke not yet pressing Ryder Cup panic button

The sight of European big guns limping over the finish line early on Sunday at the Masters need not necessarily give Ryder Cup team captain Darren Clarke cause for panic five months out from the 41st match-up at Hazeltine.

Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer and Ian Poulter, heroes all for their continent over the years in the biennial golfing dust-up with the Americans, were among the tail-enders at Augusta National yesterday.

Sweden’s Stenson, one of Paul McGinley’s most dependable soldiers in the famous victory at Gleneagles two years ago, completed the first major of the season at six-over par, Garcia at eight-over while Team Europe inspiration Poulter tied with Kaymer, the German who hit the winning putt to seal the Miracle at Medinah in 2012, on 12-over par to finish joint 49th of the 57 who made the halfway cut. Graeme McDowell did not get that far.