Clarke’s coach slams Faldo’s Poulter pick

DARREN CLARKE’S coach, Ewen Murray, continues to believe Ian Poulter’s absence from the final Ryder Cup qualifying event at Gleneagles last week was because captain Nick Faldo had already handed him a wild card.

Poulter and Paul Casey will be part of the European team at Valhalla later this month after being preferred to a number of other high-profile contenders, including Clarke.

“He headed for the wheelbarrow event that is part of the FedEx Cup,” said Sky television commentator Murray on the golfobserver.com website.

“Poor? I think so, but then why would you cross the Atlantic when you are already on the team? Please don’t expect me to believe that wasn’t the case.

“Should Ian have been picked? Of course he shouldn’t. Not being at Gleneagles beggars belief for so many reasons.

“Justin Rose put aside his PGA Tour career and along with it a lot of dollars because the Ryder Cup meant more to him than money.

“The fact Ian stayed away when he should have been at Gleneagles would not go down too well with his new team-mates. There was Oliver Wilson, Soren Hansen and Martin Kaymer sweating blood to make the top ten.”