GOLF/Ryder Cup: Darren Clarke was one of six members of the European Ryder Cup team who made a surreptitious trip to run an eye over the Palmer Course yesterday, just a fortnight ahead of the defence of the trophy against the United States. Philip Reid, Golf Correspondent, reports.

Clarke, who lost his wife, Heather, to cancer on August 13th, has not played competitively since the British Open at Hoylake in July, but he is scheduled to return to tournament action at next week's Madrid Open.

The 38-year-old was given a wild card pick by Europe's captain, Ian Woosnam, to play in the Ryder Cup. It will be his fifth successive appearance in the competition.

While the US team made a well-publicised reconnaissance visit to the K Club just less than a fortnight ago, the European sextet - comprising Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald, David Howell, Jose Maria Olazabal and Paul Casey - made a more furtive visit to the course in advance of the match, which is a sell-out.

Woosnam had requested Donald, who has never played in the European Open over the course, and Howell, who has not played in the tournament since 2004, to play a practice round over the course if the opportunity should arise.

Olazabal, meanwhile, was reacquainting himself with the course, having missed the cut there in both 2004 and 2001, his last two visits.

Woosnam's two vice-captains, Des Smyth and Peter Baker, accompanied the six team members for the visit.

Clarke, who won the European Open over the course in 2001, played alongside Olazabal, while Harrington teamed-up with Howell, the current order of merit leader, and England's World Cup winning team-mates Donald and Casey partnered each other.

Woosnam believes Thomas Bjorn's criticism of his captaincy will make Europe's team stronger as they attempt to retain the trophy.

Bjorn labelled Woosnam's captaincy as "pathetic" after he was overlooked for one of the two wild cards.

"It will make us stronger," Woosnam insisted. "It will make Lee (Westwood) more determined and Darren more determined.

"They're all professionals and once we get to the Ryder Cup, these things will be put to bed."

Bjorn has since apologised and been fined by the European Tour for his outburst, but his remarks led to questions being raised about Woosnam's perceived lack of communication with the players and his handling of the media.

Woosnam accepts he did not come across well in his press conference on Sunday evening.

"I knew when I was standing there I was very nervous and I might not have come over very well," the Welshman said.

"Deep down I was upset because I had to leave someone out, and I knew it was going to hurt Thomas and I knew I was going to get some criticism.

"He has his right to say what he did about why he missed it. But it's a pity he had to do it like that. But he's apologised and the next thing we've got to do is get on, get back to Ireland and win the trophy."

Bjorn felt he should have been selected ahead of Westwood after performing better than the Englishman during the qualifying period, although Westwood can point to collecting four-and-a-half points in the record victory at Oakland Hills two years ago, and having won twice over the K Club course.

"I don't think I have to justify my position to anybody," Woosnam added.

"There's 10 spots that are automatic and they were filled, and I have to make the next two choices.

"I could have gone from the next person down to 50th in the Order of Merit.

"But I made my choices and that's the privilege the captain gets.

"It was a difficult decision, but there were a lot of people in the frame. And I went with Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood."