Injuries cloud Donald and Poulter cup hopes

Donald has a wrist injury that could keep him out of the Ryder Cup (Getty Images)

The Ryder Cup hopefuls Luke Donald and Ian Poulter have pulled out of this week's BMW International in Munich because of the wrist injuries they suffered at the US Open.

Lying joint 23rd after 14 holes of the final round on Sunday, Donald called for medical attention, but after having his left wrist strapped decided not to continue. Brother and caddie, Christian, said: "He had a problem with it all week. It had been feeling sore right from the start and when he teed off on the 15th tee he felt something go.

"He immediately alerted tournament officials and told them that he didn't think he could go on. He is not sure exactly what the problem is."

Poulter will also be hoping to return at next week's French Open after quitting 15 holes into his second round at Torrey Pines.

The 32-year-old Poulter was 14 over par at the time, having moved the ball just a few feet from thick rough three holes earlier. He triple-bogeyed that, then had back-to-back double bogeys, the second of them coming when he went to back-hand a tap-in putt and missed it.

Poulter was playing with Donald and Paul Casey, who said: "Poults had some issues with his right wrist and you could tell something was wrong because the length of his drives weren't up to his usual standards. He got tangled up in the rough a few times. He apologised and said 'For the best of my health I'm going to have to go in'." Donald said he had no idea there was a real problem until Poulter told him: "I'm off, goodbye, good luck."

It was a blow to both the players' chances of qualifying for September's Ryder Cup. Donald, who received only the same £1,000 as those missing the halfway cut, lies eighth on the world points list, but only the top five earn automatic selection off that at the end of August. The other five come from a table based strictly on European Tour earnings and because of the time he spends in the States he is only 31st on that.

Poulter, having won in Japan in November to boost his chances of a second cap, is 24th on the European list and 11th on the world list.

The US Open runner-up Rocco Mediate is up from 92nd to 15th on the American Ryder Cup table, meanwhile – but if he had won the US Open play-off against Tiger Woods he would now be sixth. Woods is the runaway leader of the race and would still qualify if he rested his injured left knee for the next two months.