Masters 2015: Captain Darren Clarke begins auditions for Ryder Cup

Poulter and Casey are desperate to make Clarke's team for 2016

Darren Clarke takes a shot from the second hole on the final day (Getty Images)

There are always agendas and sideshows in sport – always the bigger picture. Just as Kevin Pietersen’s debut century for Surrey has more resonance for his future England career than it does for his county, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey had the Ryder Cup on their minds on Sunday rather than a Masters Green Jacket.

The Englishmen played together and started the final round on the first page of the leader board, but 10 shots off the lead and with no chance of victory. That didn’t mean they had nothing to play for, though. The next Ryder Cup – at Hazeltine, Minnesota – is 18 months away but captain Darren Clarke is finding out that the biennial dust-up between Europe and the US is always at the forefront of the conversation among the players, fans and media.

Poulter is Europe’s talisman: his fist-pumping, eyes-a-poppin’, primeval screaming is the trademark rallying cry of Team Europe. It’s impossible to imagine a Ryder Cup without him and yet his form has been so poor of late he required a wild card to play at Gleneagles and may require another in September next year.

Paul Casey smiles after an eagle on the second hole (Getty Images)

As luck would have it, he was drawn to play with Clarke in the third round and fired a five-under-par 67, his best round at Augusta. How’s that for a timely “don’t forget about me” audition with the boss? “It’s the best I’ve ever seen him play,” Clarke said. “It was 67 but could easily have been 63. Poults is playing beautifully.”

Poulter and Casey are desperate to make Clarke’s team. Poulter is already talking as if he expects to be in the 12. “I know Darren very well. Ryder Cups are always explosive. We have seen a lot of passion, a lot of fan craziness. I wouldn’t expect 2016 to be any different. It’s even more rewarding when you win away,” he said.

Casey’s form has been even more desperate than Poulter’s. Part of the reason for his dip in the rankings has been down to injuries and divorce. But now he is married again and has become a father. He’s in a happy place and back on leader boards. Casey has always been the most naturally gifted of his generation, and that includes Poulter and Justin Rose. There is still time for the 37-year-old to have a stellar back nine to his career and win majors.

The Arizona resident felt that Pond-hopping between the States and Europe was not helping and so this year he decided to give up his European Tour membership to concentrate solely on the PGA Tour. But his return to form has put him back in the Ryder Cup spotlight. The trouble is that he is no longer eligible. He has until 1 May to rejoin the European Tour so he can start earning points towards making the team. Clarke said he has had a chat with Casey about it. “From a team point of view, I would love him to rejoin the European Tour,” he said. “He wants to. Hopefully, he will. It’s great to see him back. He would be a strong contender with the form he’s in. He would be a benefit to the team.”

Ian Poulter speaks with Darren Clarke on the third day (GETTY IMAGES)

Casey had abandoned hope of playing for Clarke but his resurgence has given him a welcome scheduling headache. “There’s a massive fire burning in me to be part of the Ryder Cup team again. I’ve communicated that with Darren,” Casey said. “The three I played in were wonderful. I wasn’t going to make the last two with the golf I was playing and it was brilliant to watch the last two at Gleneagles and Medinah. I desperately want to be part of that again and think I can play a major role in the team as well.”

As Clarke was telling reporters – after his final round 72 – that “the more guys that play well, the easier my job becomes”, Poulter came out of the clubhouse. Heading for the first tee for his date with Casey, he broke his stride to slap Clarke on the backside so hard it would have turned the Northern Irishman’s cheeks purple. Just as well, then, that the Ryder Cup captain was wearing purple trousers.