Ian Woosnam has taken the calculated gamble that Darren Clarke will be able to cope with the emotion of a Ryder Cup in Ireland being staged just six weeks after the death of his wife.

Clarke and close friend Lee Westwood were, as widely predicted, named tonight as Europe's two wild cards. Westwood's 28th place in the final counting event, the BMW International Open, came too late to make him one of the 10 automatic qualifiers.

But having climbed off his sickbed to compete in Munich his gritty display helped make him Woosnam's choice ahead of Thomas Bjorn, who before the decision admitted he would be "devastated" to miss out.

With Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley already on the side Clarke's inclusion means that, as in 2002 and 2004, a quarter of the European line-up will be Irish.

What makes it extra special this time, though, is that the match is being held on Irish soil for the first time - at the K Club on September 22nd-24th.

A member of the last four sides, Clarke has not played competitively since the Open in July, where under the strain of the situation at home he had a second round 82 and missed the halfway cut.

Clarke said then he would not be playing again "for the foreseeable future". The Ryder Cup was the last thing on his mind, but he feels able to make the commitment now and intends playing in the Madrid Masters the week before.

His selection, though, has to be considered a risk. It is impossible to know how he will cope with a week in which wives and girlfriends become part of the team and one that even in normal circumstances places more mental and physical demands on a player than any other.

Tiger Woods played the US Open in June six weeks after the death of his father. He hoped it was sufficient time, but he had back-to-back 76s and missed his first halfway cut in a major in his professional career.

But Clarke is the course record holder at the K Club with his incredible European tour best 12 under par 60 set in 1999 and lifted the European Open there two years later.

Westwood is twice a winner at the lay-out, whereas Bjorn's last memory is a nightmare 86 last year. He had been four in front with a round to go, but had an 11 on the 17th when co-leader.

The Dane is another of Clarke's best friends and, like Westwood, was encouraged to play in the US PGA championship two weeks ago rather than attend the funeral in Northern Ireland.

Bjorn was in floods of tears at the prayer service held in Heather Clarke's memory in Chicago before the start of the tournament. He had to tee off only an hour later, shot 80 and stated later: "It was too hard for me to play."

He could still have made the team with a week to go, but had to win in Germany and managed only 13th place.

While bitterly disappointed not to have got Woosnam's vote for a wild card, he spoke in glowing terms of the way Clarke has handled the tragedy in his private life.

"Darren's a tough guy - he's dealt with the last two to four years better than any human being I know," commented Bjorn. "He's been through Hell and dealt with it very well. Because of that I don't have any concerns about the Ryder Cup."

With no changes in the top 10 in Germany - Jose Maria Olazabal by controversially taking the week off and McGinley by missing the cut had left themselves vulnerable - Woosnam will have a team made up entirely of players in the world's top 50.

That will be a first for Europe and the Americans cannot say the same. Of their four little-known rookies only Zach Johnson is a top 50 player.

The only uncapped Europeans are Swedes Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson. There would have been a third if their compatriot Carl Pettersson had been a member of the European tour from the start of qualifying, but he started collecting points only after he had had a win and a second place in America and despite another victory there in May he failed to qualify.

Three Irish and two Swedes then, plus English quartet Luke Donald, David Howell, Paul Casey and Westwood, Scot Colin Montgomerie and Spaniards Sergio Garcia and Olazabal. A formidable team, no question, and with Europe winning four of the last five clashes they are justifiably favourites.