European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke will announce his three wildcard selections at Wentworth on Tuesday and he has plenty to ponder.

Given that five rookies have automatically qualified, Clarke is expected to pick Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, who have lots of Ryder Cup-winning experience in the heat of the battle.

That leaves it a battle for the final place, with the likes of Luke Donald, Thomas Pieters and Russell Knox touted as potential picks. Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell are also in contention but the form of both is an issue, although Gmac’s fantastic record at the Cup will give him a much better chance than Lowry.

If Clarke is to follow in the footsteps of recent captains, then Pieters is likely to get the final pick. Edoardo Molinari, Nicholas Colsaerts and Stephen Gallacher have all received picks as form European Tour players in the past three Ryder Cups. Pieters’ recent play may be enough to carry him onto the team and the impressive way he won in Denmark can’t have hurt his chances.