Plenty of Ryder Cup cheer for upbeat Darren Clarke

With a second European major winner of the season on the books thanks to Henrik Stenson’s brilliance at Royal Troon, there was plenty to cheer Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke over the weekend.

Not only had the Irishman seen Sweden’s Stenson join Masters winner Danny Willett in becoming a first-time major champion, European big guns Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia also secured strong finishes in a tie for fifth while an exciting potential rookie in Andy Sullivan had finished 12th.

There are four eligible tournaments to go before the nine automatic qualifying places for Clarke’s team are finalised on August 28 at the conclusion of the Made In Denmark tournament, including a major points grab at next week’s PGA Championship. Which means there is still plenty of opportunity to make a run into the final standings or at the very least persuade the captain who to call on when he makes his three picks to be revealed on August 30.