Poulter... Did he get the nod last week?

[Parmo]

After watching Faldos wild card announcement yesterday, I got the feeling that Poulter was already picked above Clarke last weekend to enable him to play the fed ex rather than the Jonny walker.

So I have a couple of thoughts...

1 - Should Poulter have really been picked as a player who puts Ryder Cup second and his Yank tour card first?

2 - Is faldo picking younger players to stop "changing room politics" from Monty & Clarke?

Gallacher queries Poulter call-up

Former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher has questioned Nick Faldo's decision to hand Ian Poulter a wildcard entry into Europe's team.

Faldo chose Poulter and Paul Casey as his wildcard selections for the match at Valhalla, Kentucky, with Darren Clarke among those who missed out.

Gallacher said: "I think the morale in the team might be a bit lower for picking Poulter ahead of Darren Clarke.

"I felt there was a dead certainty for it to be Darren Clarke and Paul Casey."

Poulter skipped the Johnnie Walker Championship, where he could have earned the points to qualify by right, in favour of playing in America this week.

And Gallacher added: "I'm surprised Ian Poulter didn't come back and fight for his place.

"There will be a few players today thinking, 'Nick, I think you've made a mistake.

"I don't think Ian Poulter will let the team down. But he (Poulter) didn't turn up to the last event and Darren's the form guy. Ian Poulter has missed the last two cuts."

Gallacher, who captained the European team in 1991, 1993 and 1995, continued: "I'm very surprised Darren Clarke wasn't picked.

"Darren Clarke has won two tournaments on the European Tour this year. He won a tournament two weeks ago in a very strong field on a tough course.

"He's got a great Ryder Cup record. In the past he's played well with Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia.

"I don't want to pull the team down. Nick's his own man. I just had a sneaking feeling at the back of my mind that Nick Faldo would do something different.

"He (Faldo) is slightly controversial and he's lived up to it."

Sergio Garcia, who will play in his fifth Ryder Cup at Valhalla, expressed his surprise over Clarke's omission by Faldo.

The Spaniard said: "I thought Paul (Casey) was pretty much a lock (for a wildcard) and because of the way Darren has been playing lately, I thought maybe he would get the other one."

However, Garcia accepted Faldo would have been taking a huge risk by selecting the out-of-form Colin Montgomerie, despite his outstanding Ryder Cup record.

"Monty has done so well at the Ryder Cup, but unfortunately he just hasn't been playing that great lately," he said.

"Even though it's Monty, it's a huge risk to pick a guy who hasn't been playing his best and hope he plays his best at the Ryder Cup.

"Casey and Poulter are going to be good assets for the team. I think we're all looking forward to it and all happy that both Ian and Paul are on the team."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/7591012.stm

 

[HTL]

Look at my post a few days ago, Poults defo got the nod and thats why he chose to play in the US instead of the Jonnie Walker, he was already qualified to be plaing on the US tour next year.

 

[Tommo21]

I’m beginning to wonder where this will get us. The wildcards are always going to be contentious and for former Captains to start giving opinions that, to me anyway, can read negative is not my idea of getting the team in the right frame of mind for the cup.

 

[madandra]

Let's get one thing straight ... Poulter is not confident, he is arrogant. He has no repect for his peers and will never come close to any of Monty's achievements and I wouldn't put it past him for not being arsed to make the cut and still make the team just to pi55 of Monty even more.

He is a bad apple. When Faldo was in his prime he wasn't liked among other pro's but he had respect due to his achievements, Poulter is just a gimp with silly facial hair and even louder fashion sense.

 

[Tommo21]

Yeh, well, Clarke would have been my pick over Poulter.

 

[birdieman]

Let's get one thing straight ... Poulter is not confident, he is arrogant. He has no repect for his peers and will never come close to any of Monty's achievements and I wouldn't put it past him for not being arsed to make the cut and still make the team just to pi55 of Monty even more.

He is a bad apple. When Faldo was in his prime he wasn't liked among other pro's but he had respect due to his achievements, Poulter is just a gimp with silly facial hair and even louder fashion sense.

Sit on the fence Madandra, why don't you?

It's done now, we'll just have to wait until the event itself and see how Poulter fares. If he's awful then everyone will say 'I told you so', if he's great then everyone will say 'well done Nick on a good pick'.

I think the boy'll do fine, expecting a closer match this year though, could be very tense in the singles.

I think Monty never had a chance unless he was top 10. Poor Monty's whole legacy is built round Ryder Cup because he's Major-less and almost certainly to remain so due to Majors lengthening courses and Monty losing yards off the tee annually. I think Monty would like to take Nick's record points haul for RC but is now unlikely to do so.
Monty should take his new wifey off on a Caribbean holiday or something.

Darren Clarke is good enough to make the next team if his current desire to improve continues.

 

[madandra]

Stu, I agree Monty was nowhere but I am left wondering if Faldo opted for Poulter knowing this would eliminate Monty from wanting to be his vice captain. I couldn't see Faldo wanting Monty and his crusade anywhee near the Ryder Cup as it may deflect the attention away from him.

 

[birdieman]

Could be right Andy.

Faldo is right to be his own man, also what he doesn't know about golf isn't worth knowing.
Monty would just try and take over in a vice-captain role and probably in a playing one too, Faldo wants to run the show his way and he will.
Casey can be a birdie-machine so he was a good call. Clarke for me has always been a bit of a let down except for once in the WGC matchplay in 2000 when he thumped Tiger.
Poulter is so-so but probably as good as/better than Wilson (never won anything) and maybe Hansen, McDowell too.

Harrington only got a half point out of a possible 5 last Ryder Cup so he needs to improve and he's our so called best player.

No Scots in team, bad reflection on the game up here, when will we get some top-class golfers again?

 

[jooemac]

Could be right Andy.

Faldo is right to be his own man, also what he doesn't know about golf isn't worth knowing.
Monty would just try and take over in a vice-captain role and probably in a playing one too, Faldo wants to run the show his way and he will.
Casey can be a birdie-machine so he was a good call. Clarke for me has always been a bit of a let down except for once in the WGC matchplay in 2000 when he thumped Tiger.
Poulter is so-so but probably as good as/better than Wilson (never won anything) and maybe Hansen, McDowell too.

Harrington only got a half point out of a possible 5 last Ryder Cup so he needs to improve and he's our so called best player.

No Scots in team, bad reflection on the game up here, when will we get some top-class golfers again?

I'm amazed Clarke won all his matches last RC he is without doubt the form man out of the players outside the 10.
Harrington has won 3 majors since the last RC what more would he have to do to impress.
Im sorry but for the first time ever I'll be hoping Faldo gets taught a lesson as I found him to be every bit as arrogant as the talentless Poulter yesterday during the press conference.
In a poll of 32 players at Gleneagles at the weekend only 1 picked Poulter, says a lot for his popularity.
Nobody is querying Casey But I believe that had Clarke won at the weekend he would not have made the team as it had been picked the week before.

 

[Nico]

Did he get the nod?? Oh Please!

I hope we win but Poulthard gets his a*** handed to him every day.

 

[rgs]

Birdieman
Harrington's RC record is not too bad he has played 4 RC and won 3 out of 4 singles only losing at the K Club when the cup was already won. He beat O'Meara in 99 at Brookline when all around him were losing their heads given the "rowdy" actions of the Yank supporters.
He did not have a good RC at the K Club but, i think, he played with different partners both days.
He was superb in 04 in Oakland Hills.

As for Clarke he is the only man other than Tiger to win 2 WGC events the matchplay and Bridgestone. His RC record especially in fourballs & foursomes is outstanding and he should have been picked.

To answer teh original question i believe Poulter was told last week despite what he & Faldo stated yesterday.