GLENEAGLES, Scotland (PA) -- Europe Captain Nick Faldo has handed Ryder Cup wild cards to Ian Poulter and Paul Casey.

As a result, Colin Montgomerie misses out on the 2008 Ryder Cup, which could have seen him take over from Faldo as the event's record points-scorer.

Darren Clarke also misses out, despite his victory in Holland a week ago that made he and Casey seem like the two favorites to be picked.

Casey and Poulter will join Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson, who all automatically qualified for the event at Valhalla next month.

Faldo revealed Poulter's attitude was one of the major factors behind his selection.

"I don't have to reel off all their statistics. I've been watching these guys through the summer," said Faldo. "Ian is a very determined guy, I love his attitude and what he did at the Open -- that back nine he played with the intention to win and had that emotional feeling."

Regarding the selection of Casey, Faldo explained: "I've been watching Paul play and he has been playing absolutely the best through the summer. I was waiting for the putting to turn around. That has been very important.

"He has an extremely good record in the Ryder Cup and, going back, the Walker Cup," he added. "I feel very good about those two picks."

Poulter chose not to fly back from America for the last qualifying event, this weekend's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. A third-place finish at Gleneagles would have taken Poulter into the team automatically.

Clarke was hoping for another wild card, having benefited in that manner two years ago.

Ian Woosnam chose him then just three weeks after the Ulsterman's wife Heather had lost her fight with breast cancer. Three weeks later, amid emotional scenes at The K Club, Clarke won all his three matches in Europe's record-tying nine-point victory.

Casey made his second Ryder Cup appearance there and, partnering David Howell in the second-day foursomes, became the first player to win a Ryder Cup match with a hole-in-one.

Of all the leading candidates for a wild-card selection, he and Clarke were the two who showed Faldo the best recent form, with Poulter having failed to follow up his bid for Open glory at Royal Birkdale six weeks ago.

Brilliantly though he played there, it was only his second top-10 finish of the whole year. Casey has had four in his last seven starts.

"Maybe I should have gone to play Gleneagles, but I stuck by my word" to play in the PGA Tour playoffs for the FedExCup, Poulter said. "Looking back at the time I made the right decision for me, but it was so difficult to choose the right thing to do and it's obviously been a very difficult decision to try to get across."

Asked what he thought he brought to the team, he added: "I think I will bring my best game, excitement, flair and the passion that I always play golf with. I think I will be a strong asset to the team.

"I've been looking at the (points) list every single week since the Open and I thought the only scenario that would put a spanner in the works was Darren playing well."

Europe will go for an unprecedented fourth successive victory over the Americans at Valhalla in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 19-21.

Despite his stellar Ryder Cup record, Montgomerie wasn't able to convince Faldo that he deserved to make his ninth Ryder Cup team. He did finish second in the French Open at the end of June, but has tailed off badly since then and, for all he has done in the past and for all the support he got from Harrington and others, it was Faldo's opinion that mattered.

After last year's Seve Trophy, Faldo -- not in private, but in conversation with a reporter -- said: "Monty's a tough one. He was the only one whose emotions I had to deal with.

"He only came to two of the five team meetings, so that was disappointing. Then he had to be teased out on to the 18th green to support his team ," he added. "The bottom line was he hadn't won a point."

Even back then Montgomerie was asked how he would feel if he missed out on next month's match.

"I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I'd just make sure I qualified in 2010," he said. He hoped it would not come to that, but it has."

After the announcement, Montgomerie issued a statement in which he said, "I wish the team the very best of luck. Although I am, of course, very disappointed not to have played my way into the team or into contention for a pick, I am delighted at the obvious strength and depth of the European team.

"The European Tour should very proud at the quantity and quality of potential Ryder Cup players that it can now offer up for selection -- more so than at any time in my 20 years plus on tour," he added.

"Our line-up is fantastic, headed up by Padraig (Harrington) who is playing the best golf in the world right now and I am utterly confident the team will triumph again this year.

"I wish Nick and the team the very best of luck and while I shall certainly feel sad not to be playing a part, as I sit glued to the TV I know the overwhelming emotion I will be feeling is pride."

Stenson approved of the selection to the team of Poulter and Casey, saying: "It was going to be among four or five guys getting the two spots.

"I think we are going to have a great team and both Ian and Paul are going to be good selections to the players that are already in," he added. "I am very confident. It is going to be a team effort."

Clarke said in a statement: "Nick rang me after my last round at Gleneagles to say that I wasn't going to be one of his picks and I simply wished him all the best.

"Obviously, I am disappointed that I wasn't selected, but I have dealt with much worse and it will make me all the more determined to make the team that will play in Wales next time," he added. "There was a qualifying period and I didn't make it automatically, so you will not hear any sour grapes from me.

"I couldn't have tried any harder and I devoted myself to the European Tour to give myself the best possible chance, but although I have won twice this year it obviously wasn't enough," he explained. "I fully respect the captain's decision and I would like to wish him and his team all the very best for Valhalla. I will be supporting them from wherever I am."

5 Off European Ryder Cup Team:
5 Off World List:
1. Padraig Harrington
2. Sergio Garcia
3. Lee Westwood
4. Henrik Stenson
5. Robert Karlsson

5 Off European List:
1. Miguel Angel Jimenez
2. Graeme McDowell
3. Justin Rose
4. Soren Hansen
5. Oliver Wilson

2 Captain's Picks:
1. Ian Poulter
2. Paul Casey

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