Darren Clarke will play in the Ryder Cup less than six weeks after the death of his wife and both he and captain Ian Woosnam are convinced he can help Europe complete an unprecedented hat-trick of wins against the United States.

Clarke and close friend Lee Westwood were the wild card choices announced by Woosnam last night for the K Club clash starting two weeks on Friday, the Ulsterman having been told four days ago and Westwood hearing only when he arrived back in Britain from finishing 28th in Munich.

"I certainly would not have considered making myself available unless I felt I could contribute to the cause," said Clarke, whose wife Heather lost her long battle against cancer on August 13th.

"It's going to be a magnificent week and I would not have wanted to miss it. Neither would my lovely wife Heather."

Clarke played competitively for the first time since her death on Sunday, making a successful defence of the club championship at Queenwood in Surrey.

His European tour comeback at the Madrid Masters next week will be his first tournament since the Open in July, when he missed the cut after a second round 82 and said he would not be playing "for the foreseeable future" because of his wife's health.

Woosnam said: "Darren is absolutely raring to go. It's going to be a great emotional time for himself, but with all of the families and all the players it will be like one big family for him.

"I'm sure Darren is going to cope very fine. I think Heather would have loved him to play and I think that's why he put his name forward.

"I think he won't be thinking at the Ryder Cup about anything other than winning."  PA