The newest wild card picks by Corey Paven, for the United States Ryder Cup team, came as no surprise to Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley.

Paven selected Tiger Woods, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and Rickie Fowler for his team at Celtic Manor.
"I'm not surprised. Obviously Tiger - the best player in the world - was always going to be a pick. It would be tough to be at Celtic Manor without Tiger and he is starting to play a lot better," Clarke told Sky Sports.

"In Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson you have got two fantastic competitors - both major winners. And Rickie Fowler is a young, exciting kid, obviously a great player."

Fowler was the unlikeliest pick. The 21-year-old Californian is the first PGA Tour rookie without a tour title to be picked.

Clarke continued "It was almost a situation like we had as well; you had to leave some good players out. And unfortunately the likes of Lucas Glover and Anthony Kim have missed out, which I'm sure they will be disappointed in. He just has a wealth of riches and he has picked four fantastic players."

McGinely said he would have predicted Paven's choices exactly.

He said "I am not really surprised…I wish I'd had a bet on - I thought they would be his four picks.
"Three were pretty standard in Woods, Cink and Johnson and I had a feeling he was going to go for a punt on Rickie Fowler, who is a an exciting young player and I think will be a good addition to his team."

He also realizes the immense strength in the U.S team "It is a very big-hitting team. They have four of the biggest hitters in the world in Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, (Phil) Mickelson and probably Rickie Fowler as well too, so it is a big-hitting, strong team."