Ryder Cup team: The dynamics of a captain's wild card selections are that there were winners and, inevitably, losers. So it was at Eichenried Golf Club, north of Munich, yesterday where Europe's captain, Ian Woosnam, confirmed what the world and its mother had anticipated by naming Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood as his two picks for the Ryder Cup match with the United States at The K Club on September 22nd-24th.

Up to the end, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn had hoped against hope that he would somehow earn Woosnam's approval. It was not to be, however, and, after confirmation that he had been bypassed, Bjorn simply stated on hearing the news that "being devastated doesn't even come close to how I feel".

When the numbers were crunched at the conclusion of the BMW International Open, the 10 players who went into the final counting event occupying automatic places retained them, with just a little bit of juggling in the order of qualifying. Clarke, who lost his wife Heather to cancer on August 13th, and Westwood were the two players chosen by Woosnam to complete the team for a match he expects will "go down to the wire again". Both players have previously won over the Palmer Course.

Was it a risk to include Clarke on the team? "No, I don't think it is a risk at all . . . believe me, Darren is up for it," said Woosnam, who officially extended an invite to Clarke - who will return to competitive golf in next week's Madrid Open - last Thursday.

It will be Clarke's fifth appearance in a Ryder Cup and, for the third successive time, three Irish players will be on the team. Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley took the eighth and ninth automatic places in the qualifying lists.

"It's going to be a very emotional time for Darren, (but) with all the guys and all the families and all the players, it will be like one big family for him.

"I'm sure Darren is going to cope very fine. He won't be thinking about anything but the Ryder Cup and winning," said Woosnam.

Clarke, who has not played since missing the cut at the British Open in Hoylake, claimed to be "honoured and delighted" when Woosnam informed him that he was to be given a wild card. "It's going to be a magnificent week and I would not have wanted to miss it," said Clarke, who showed a measure of his wellbeing by playing, and successfully defending, his club championship at Queenwood, outside London, yesterday.

Clarke's inclusion in the European team was welcomed by US captain Tom Lehman. "Darren and Lee make an already strong European team even stronger yet, and the inclusion of Darren Clarke is more than appropriate. The American team in its entirety is pleased that he will be a part of the upcoming Ryder Cup," said Lehman.

Westwood's inclusion was more of a last-minute affair, Woosnam claiming that he had only finally decided on his second pick less than an hour before he made it public. "He's won twice around the K Club and I think that made a difference," said Woosnam of his decision to go with Westwood, ranked 47th in the world, ahead of Bjorn, who is ranked 35th.

"I feel for the guys who haven't made the team, and I've got to say how strong European golf is at the moment that we have so many great players . . . but I have to go with my gut feeling."

Strangely, Woosnam had not informed the players who missed out on selection ahead of making his public announcement, but said he would be making phone calls to them over the next few days.

While Bjorn was far from happy with his exclusion, word from America is that Jose Maria Olazabal wasn't too happy either with remarks passed on his absence in Munich by team-mate Colin Montgomerie. Was Woosnam concerned at possible disharmony in the locker room? "We're all world class players and I think that will be just put underneath the mat and nothing will be said about it," replied Woosnam.

For Paul McGinley, it marked his third successive time to qualify for the team. "It's a huge relief. I've been under a great deal of pressure recently, and now it feels like a huge weight has been lifted. I can now get ready for one of the biggest weeks of my life knowing I don't have to look over my shoulder. It's going to be a fantastic week, and I'd have hated not to have been there," he said.

Woosnam, too, was confident McGinley could put his recent run of poor form behind him.

"I think he's struggled the last few months because he wants to play so badly in the Ryder Cup. Now he can relax, and we'll see Paul's game coming back together again."