Poult from the blue

Ian Poulter’s selection for the Ryder Cup ahead of Darren Clarke remained the talk of golf today – even though it means that for the first time, Europe are poised to take on the Americans with a side made up entirely of players in the world’s top 50.

A large number of his fellow professionals in Europe are upset by Poulter putting his US Tour career before making the Ryder Cup, and “shocked” former captain Bernard Gallacher has already suggested team morale might be affected.

Poulter could have qualified for the team by flying to the final counting event in Scotland – as did his close friend Justin Rose – but he chose to play in Boston instead.

Yet while he then missed the halfway cut for the second week running and has had only one top-10 finish since January, captain Nick Faldo has picked him along with Paul Casey and has left out Clarke and Colin Montgomerie.

That one top 10 was, of course, second place in The Open and nobody would dispute it was a stellar performance.

But Clarke has won twice this year, the second of them only eight days ago. He won all his three games two years ago – amazingly just six weeks after his wife died – and he and Lee Westwood have won their last four games together.

Not just against anybody either. At The K Club it was Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk, while at Oakland Hills it was Woods and Phil Mickelson.

“Obviously I am disappointed,” said Clarke. “But I have dealt with much worse and it will make me all the more determined to make the team that will play in Wales next time.

“You will not hear any sour grapes from me. I couldn’t have tried any harder and I devoted myself to the European Tour to give myself the best possible chance, but I fully respect the captain’s decision.”

Montgomerie, who in a statement also expressed his disappointment and wished the team well, has an incredible record in the match as well, never losing a singles and providing inspiration aplenty.

But his form of late has simply not warranted a ninth cap and with it the chance to take Faldo’s points record with two more wins.

Casey was on a plane when he was picked and so a reaction from him was being awaited, but Poulter said: “I am absolutely thrilled. The last few weeks have been extremely tense. Maybe I should have gone to play Gleneagles, but it was so difficult to choose the right thing to do and it’s obviously been a very difficult decision to try to get across.

“I think I will bring excitement, flair and the passion that I always play golf with. I think I will be a strong asset to the team.”

Europe’s captain has always been his own man and despite so much pointing to Clarke and Casey, he thought differently.

“At the end of the day it’s a tough call,” he said. “It’s a decision I have to make – some will agree, some will disagree. I’m the guy that has to live with it and I can.”

Now he has to hope that Poulter has not been too affected by the maelstrom that was whipped up by his no-show in Scotland.

“I think Ian’s been through the wringer the last week,” said Faldo.

He added that the 32-year-old, who played just two games on his debut in 2004, simply went quiet on the other end of the phone when told.

“He was absolutely gob-smacked. It was more just sheer relief. I think the emotion just hit him very quickly.

“I just love his attitude and obviously what he did at The Open. That back nine he played with the intention to win. He had that putt (on the 18th) and I’m sure for those few moments he felt that was to win an Open.

“I don’t have to reel off all their stats, but he’s the leading player in the world not in the team.”

By that Faldo meant outside the top 10 who qualified – and Casey was the next highest-ranked one.

On leaving out Clarke, he added: “Darren made a massive, massive charge, a big effort the last few weeks.

“He was right there to the final afternoon, but I’ve got to go one way and with what I feel they bring to the team.”

Faldo also revealed that Montgomerie would have been “seriously considered” if he had been in contention at the Johnnie Walker Championship rather than down in 38th spot.

Since coming second in the French Open at the end of June, the 45-year-old has not had a top-20 finish. But there will still be many who believe that the Americans would rather be facing Poulter than Montgomerie – and certainly Poulter rather than Clarke.

Not that the Americans, without the injured Tiger Woods, look particularly strong this year. Captain Paul Azinger names four wild cards tomorrow, but whoever they are they will start underdogs.

Faldo has four rookies. Graeme McDowell was already in before last week and yesterday Rose, Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson sealed their spots.

They all finished in the top 10 at Gleneagles, although as things turned out they could have taken the week off and made it.

Nick Dougherty, Ross Fisher and Martin Kaymer had a chance to force their way in – Dougherty came seventh, but had to win, while Fisher was 10th and needed second.

Kaymer missed the cut, but finished 11th on the table and so is the one on stand-by if any of the top 10 are injured.