Nick's picks - Your View

Two-time winner Clarke misses out

Last updated: 27th August 2010  

Nick's picks - Your View

Poulter: No win this year

Nick Faldo has opted for youth over experience in picking Ian Poulter and Paul Casey as his Ryder Cup wildcards.

The decision means two of Europe's most successful Ryder Cup players miss out - Scot Colin Montgomerie and Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke.

Monty's poor form probably did not merit a call-up, but after two wins this season - one just two weeks ago - Clarke was widely anticipated to get a second successive wild card for the match at Valhalla.

Neither Poulter nor Casey have won this year, while both chose to stay in America this week rather than play in the European Tour's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

But nevertheless, they complete Europe's Dozen to attempt to win a record fourth successive Ryder Cup.

Has Nick got it spot on? Will Poulter and Casey turn out to be the right choices? Did Clarke or Monty deserve to get the nod? Or do you think another player should have made the frame?

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Comments (111)

Joe L says...

I am Irish and am very dissappointed that Clarke was not picked but what is done is done and we must get behind the team and wish all of them the very best in Valhalla. Let's not forget that Faldo could have been the captain at the K Club but thankfully Woosie got the nod with Faldo being content with the 2008 event. The K Club was an absolute fairy tale and one of the greatest spectacles in the history of sport so lets get through this one with a win and we can look forward to hopefully another fairy tale in Celtic Manor with a rejuvinated Monty and Clarke back on home soil thrilling the crowds. Lets be honest - there is nothing as past as a past captain so Mr Faldo can retire to the USA and work on his commentary , although If and it is a big If, If the European Team lose who will ever seriously listen to his judgements or opinions on players again. Finally I would like to Congratulate Nick on making all golf fans feel the exact same way that we did back in 1999 when Mark James went for Andrew Coulthart instead of Faldo.....warning Mr Faldo - I hope you have not runied Ian Poulter's carreer like Mark James ruined Andrew Coulthart's by including him in a team that quite clearly he should not have been on. In Poulters current form he could be on the wrong side of a hiding by any of the USA's top players like Coulthart was at the hands of Woods in 99. Lets be honest - the score is 13.5 each and there is one match left on the 18th tee all square. There are 100,000 fans in attendance and the atmosphere is tense but electric, you look back to the tee and you see Phil Mickelson hammering a drive up the middle and the crowds go wild, the crowd settles after about 30 seconds now it is the European player to hit and it is Ian Poulter....are you nervous....I am.

Posted 13:01 5th September 2008

Gary Hardcastle says...

Nick Faldo is in a no win situation,if he goes for the popular pick.. Clarke,Monty,Dougherty etc,and Europe lose,he'll be taken apart by the media, likewise,if they lose with Casey and Poulter in, the same will happen. The fact of the matter is they are the captains picks,and Faldo being the captain has made his choice,Its not the pundits choice or ours.If it were I'd love to see the nice guys get the nod (Clarke & Dougherty) but Faldo has never been what I'd call a"nice guy" but what he has been is a winner.So lets respect his choice & stop the British tiresome attitude of we know better & get behind the European team. I know that all the Faldo critics'll be falling over themselves with praise,when they bring home the Ryder cup.

Posted 08:30 5th September 2008

Derek Field says...

Europe will win, the US have a weak team, in fact we would win by just sending five players - Pod, Sergio, Miguel, Lee and Henrik. So Faldo will return as a winning captain, but we would win if he didnt turn up.

Posted 09:09 4th September 2008

Dean Hartigan says...

All this 'lay off Faldo; he's great' dribble...!!? I've never seen such ill-feeling towards the captain based on his picks...but that was because it was always considered that he genuinely picked the best players available. This time that is blatantly not the case. Poulter, with 2 top 10's this year, is not one of the best two candidates. It's not just previous captain's stirring things up; it's the players themselves (see Harrington's quote); it's the Tour players (see the poll last Sunday)...if you think this is rationale opinion - you are a clueless observer of golf. Poulter has Faldo's arrogance & cockiness; unfortunately he doesn't have Faldo's golf game. I've no doubt Westwood will be delighted to be partnered with Poulter...let's hope he doesn't get a dose of the shanks as per the Majors he played in this year!

Posted 22:55 3rd September 2008

Yen chong Yap says...

It is a pity that so many of you British are so petty and 'disunited' over Faldos's choices. It is a shame to the rest of the selected European players because your actions have caused the European losing the 2008 Ryder Cup competition before it can be started

Posted 16:06 3rd September 2008

Bj Atkinson says...

Billy Mitchell has it spot on. The moment I heard Faldo taking about the 'stats aproach' to his picks I knew we were in trouble. Europe's success in the Ryder Cup was not built on 'stats'. The Ryder Cup is not won on 'stats'. It is won on passion, classy players with character and charisma (like Sergio, Harrington, Westwood, Clarke, Monty, Jimenez) and close-nit team dynamics which gives us a phsycological advantage over the US before a ball is hit. Faldo doesn't get it. He doesn't understand the concept of class, character, charisma and the dynamic it brings to a team. He has picked two wild cards in his own mould - cold, clynical and arrogant. However, Casey is a classy player but Poulter!!!!!! Hope we win but well done Faldo for handing the advantage to the US.

Posted 14:43 3rd September 2008

Mark Bowden says...

Everyone should lay off Nick the Great. He's the captain and my hero! We'll still win the ryder cup and Nick will remain a legend...Get behind the lads picked and stop sulking...whats been done has been done.

Posted 11:23 3rd September 2008

Dave Lewin says...

All the whingers below why not wait until we've beaten the USA again and then slag the great Mr. Faldo? I was a great admirer of Monty until his "playground" antics over the last couple of weeks. If he and Darren are so dissapointed about not being selected then why didn't they get their game together earlier and qualify through the money lists rather than rely on being picked!! What flavour are those grapes Monty???

Posted 11:14 3rd September 2008

Mark Roberts says...

I would just like to add to Michael Sheils comment about an Irishman sinking the winning putt. If that does happen, which it may very well do, does that not make Faldo a success?? I totally agree with the picks Faldo has done (maybe Clarke was unlucky) but they all started with the knowledge that they must perform this year and apart from maybe 6 or 7 of the players who have performed, then the rest must have been waiting with anticipation as it could have gone to any of about 10 other players. Poults has a bit of excitment about him and is great to watch with a real drive to win. Just to add, again the british public are knocking the team (faldo is part of the team) before they even get on the plane.........one of the exact reasons I left to live in New Zealand.......Go the GB and Europe team and good luck in Valhalla

Posted 02:55 3rd September 2008

Dave Lloyd says...

I have read everything everybody has said in this blog and over the last couple of days, with regard to the 2 captain¿s picks, and each one of us apart from a few would have had the same name on the team sheet first as a pick, DARREN CLARKE, the guy brings nothing but Professionalism and spirit as a team player to the rider cup, and this is what this team needs, as have the teams gone by, they have had a good team spirit, with that you can beat anybody, we win as a team we lose as a team, i am astounded that Darren didn¿t get the pick with how well he's been playing of late, if Ian Woosnam can pick up the phone and ask Darren to play golf, 5 weeks after the death of his wife, without even playing for those sad couple of months and year and play the way he did shows Darren¿s determination and will power, which if all of us where honest, would not of had, at any level ,let alone ,to compete at the highest level, like he did then, it shows what this team is going to miss without him there, and just has Darren has found the form, that Faldo had asked for, I watched intensely over the weekend ever golfer try his hardest to get in to that team, drive ,determination, and guts, the rider cup meant so much to them all, apart from 1, Ian Poulter,who didn¿t even try, or should I say didn¿t need to, I agree with Ewan Murray, he¿d been given the nod from Faldo, weather true or not, its left a bad taste in the mouth, and from the outside looking in team spirit is on the wain, the European team has always been about team spirit, and it feels a million miles away from happy, I think we will retain the rider cup, but not because of captain Faldo, but because of the weakness of the US side.

Posted 21:07 2nd September 2008

Brian Walley says...

Poor old Faldo,they are all now waiting for him to lose,I notice it is only the big heads (past winning captains) who are sticking the knife in, It is they and others who will cause unrest with the players. the day when a selected player sulks or shows resentment to the captains picks aint here yet,If they are then all they have to do is exchange places with the guy they want

Posted 19:49 2nd September 2008

Jacqueline Matthews says...

Truely British, attack two members of team Europe to give an advantage to the Americans.    Demoralise them and make them feel guilty to be picked.     Ewen Murray started all of thisby attacking Poulter, perhaps he should listen to Darren Clarke's advice and lay off.    The Americans at least have enough sense not to do this, and stand by their Captain, whatever his faults. Perhaps all the critics of Poulter, should see the times in spends in Europe and the time he spends with the youngsters who adore him.

Posted 19:45 2nd September 2008

John Clayton says...

i think faldo is spot on with is two choices they are two raw and talented golfers the only problem i have got is how good will poulter look in the team colours. so lets get behind team europe and kick some usa butts.

Posted 19:35 2nd September 2008

Alex Ord says...

I don't believe we should be questioning Faldo's decision. It was his to make, and although it seems controversial, what affect do you think all this bad publicity is having on Poulter when everyone is saying he is not good enough to play? At the end of it all, we can't change the decision, so we should be backing Poulter and wishing him luck, not failing him before he has even had a chance to prove himself.

Posted 15:24 2nd September 2008

Richard Jackson says...

We all know whats going to happen and thats Poulter will sink the winning putt. All you irish on here will eat your words and all this Clarke nonsence will be forgotten. Yes Faldo's arrogant but its the players playing the shots at the end of the day. And in my opinion with the togetherness & quality of our team you could have anybody captaining the team because each individual wants to win it so bad. The Captain just needs to drive a buggy around all weekend. They hardly need a mentor like Faldo to boost there confidence do they??!

Posted 14:44 2nd September 2008

Peter Walters says...

First of all can I say that everyone is entitled to their opioion and I fully respect their right to express it, but lets introduce some logic here and dull down the emotion. Nick Faldo was invited to be the 2008 Ryder Cup Captain, the same process has taken place over the last few decades, as part of that role the CAPTAIN picks 2 wild cards who HE thinks will help win the Ryder Cup. Now if he feels that picking certain players will undermine his authority or will not gel, that's his decision and he will have to stand or fall by it, but please don't tell me that the so called 'arrogant' Mr Faldo is not a winner. There were many raised eyebrows when Darren Clark was a wild card at the last Ryder Cup, but his selection was justified, what if we had lost, would Ian Woosnam still have bee a hero, I doubt it. Let the Captain get on with his job, or how about we introduce the Ryder Cup Show on a Saturday night TV, it could replace the X Factor and viewers could vote for who they wanted in the team, sounds a silly idea, well based on some of the rubbish I've read from previous writers I think there would be a big audience for it.

Posted 12:38 2nd September 2008

Ian Boyle says...

William Francis Bonnington suggests that I am as a arrogant as Faldo. Clearly he only read the first half of my note. Fact is Faldo is captain and ultimately his opinion is what counts above all. I dont agree with it, Clarke is 100% a better player and Ryder Cup option than Poult. WFB - kindly read the rest of my ist offering which criticises heavily the behaviour of Faldo and Poulter over ther last week - get real. Ian

Posted 09:54 2nd September 2008

Michael Shiels says...

Nick Faldo might has won a few majors but when his game went he ran away and went in to TV and his not much good at that as well. He stated that he wanted winners and Darren Clarke has won twice this year and Ian Poulter thought he won until Padraig Harrington put a stop to that. Ian reminds me of Faldo a small bit an arrogant and to cocky for Himself and the team. Hope the team will win and that an Irishman that sinks the winning putt that might teach Faldo a lesson and i think Poulter wont win a match out there because he has not got the game for it.

Posted 09:37 2nd September 2008

Richard Penrice says...

I question faldo as a captain,when playing he earned no friends.Bonding the team maybe difficult & only having olly as deputy is not enough.He cannot be everywhere on the course,he will end up running around like a headless chicken.I hope we beat usa but with home advantage and a vocal crowd it will be close.

Posted 09:28 2nd September 2008

Phil Watson says...

For Heavens sake its Nicks choice and we should all stand by it. The world ranking points to the most consistent players and its media hype that has put into question whether either player got the nod or not. And as for all the Ireland, England and Europe nonsense, well there are many europeans in the team and one less Irishman. I wonder where most of these complaints originated from? Good luck Europe and Nick!

Posted 09:26 2nd September 2008

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