Ryder Cup: Sergio Garcia has become the latest player to express surprise at Darren Clarke's omission from the European Ryder Cup team.
Ian Poulter and Paul Casey were last night confirmed as captain Nick Faldo's wild-card selections, despite Clarke - a Ryder Cup hero in 2006 - winning in Holland eight days ago.
Garcia said: "I thought Paul (Casey) was pretty much a lock (for a captain's pick) and because of the way Darren has been playing lately, I thought maybe he would get the other one."
Along with Pádraig Harrington, Garcia will spearhead the team to take on the Americans in Kentucky.
As for Colin Montgomerie, Garcia recognised captain Nick Faldo would have been taking a huge risk with the out-of-form Scot, notwithstanding his stellar Ryder Cup record.
"Monty has done so well at the Ryder Cup, but unfortunately he just hasn't been playing that great lately," said Garcia.
"Even though it's Monty, it's a huge risk to pick a guy who hasn't been playing his best and hope he plays his best at the Ryder Cup.
"If it goes that way, he's a hero; if he plays badly, then everybody will kill him, so I think he (Faldo) just went with what he felt was probably the best for the team, and we all respect that.
"Casey and Poulter are going to be good assets for the team. I think we're all looking forward to it and all happy that both Ian and Paul are on the team."
Garcia was speaking after continuing his recent sizzling form with a three-under-par 68 in the third round at the Deutsche Bank Championship at the Boston TPC.
He finished the day equal third with Fiji's Vijay Singh, three strokes behind Canadian leader Mike Weir, who carded 67 for 17-under 196, putting him one stroke ahead of Colombian Camilo Villegas.
After a heartbreaking runner-up finish at the PGA Championship, followed by a play-off loss to Singh last week, it goes without saying that Garcia is hoping that third time's a charm.
"I felt I deserved a couple more (birdies) but on the other hand it's not a bad round," said Garcia, whose 10-foot birdie putt at the last somehow stopped on the lip.
"It wasn't an easy day out there. There was a lot of danger around us, and with this wind it got a little bit tougher with the firmness of the greens.
"I'm as hungry as anybody else. I feel like I'm playing well and I'm looking forward to the challenge."
Garcia was the only European with a realistic chance going into the final round, with Swede Richard Johnson next best, six shots off the pace.
Another Swede, Carl Pettersson, who was perhaps a touch unlucky not to be on the Ryder Cup team, was another stroke further back.
The two British players were a long way behind - Brian Davis trailing by 10 shots, Martin Laird by 12.
European Ryder Cup team
Pádraig Harrington
Sergio Garcia
Lee Westwood
Henrik Stenson
Robert Karlsson
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Graeme McDowell
Justin Rose
Soren Hansen
Oliver Wilson
Ian Poulter
Paul Casey
