Davies, Wales' only Ryder Cup hope, must rely on receiving captain's pick

Rhys Davies of Wales has pulled out of this week's Czech Open on the European Tour because of fatigue and cannot now make the Ryder Cup on points. A captain's pick from Colin Montgomerie is the only way Wales will be represented on home soil at Celtic Manor in October, but that looks highly unlikely with Padraig Harrington, Justin Rose and Luke Donald all currently needing a wild card as well. Davies was runner-up to Graeme McDowell on the Ryder Cup course in the Celtic Manor Wales Open in June and closed with a record 9-under-par 62. The European Tour rookie also won in Morocco in March and is 17th in the race for places. There are sufficient points in the last two events for him to climb into the top nine, but Davies doesn’t feel it right to push himself over the limit. "I said at the start of the week I would listen to my body and my body is telling me to take a rest," said the 25-year-old after finishing only 62nd at the PGA Championship. "Important though the Ryder Cup is, to me it's not the goal, winning tournaments is. "It's been a hectic schedule and it's probably catching up with me,” he added. “I played well for 52 holes and was 4 under, but then I finished in a train wreck." He had a quadruple-bogey 8 on the 18th at the end of his third round and then added another 75. Davies, acknowledged by Montgomerie and others as one of the best putters in the game, is entered for the race-ending Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles next week, where a win would advance his claims for a pick against some stiff competition. Darren Clarke has also decided not to make the long trip from Wisconsin to the Czech Republic. Wins there and in Scotland would have been needed by the 42-year-old Ulsterman just to have a chance of climbing into the top nine from his 21st position, but now he will concentrate on his duties as one of Montgomerie's three vice-captains.