European Team / Ralph Ellis / 14 January 2009 / Leave a Comment

K Club memories abound for Ralph Ellis as Darren Clarke emerges as a serious contender for the European Ryder Cup team captaincy....

Darren Clarke was the undoubted star of the Ryder Cup in 2006. It was one of those occasions when sport produces a real life tear jerker that no Hollywood scriptwriter would dare to put forward.

Just weeks after the tragic loss of his wife Heather, Clarke rolled in what was effectively the winning putt at the K Club. The emotion of that occasion made Nick Faldo's decision to drop him from last year's team all the more controversial.

Could there be another twist to the tale?

This morning Clarke is emerging as a strong outside candidate to take over from the fallen Faldo and lead Europe's bid to recover the trophy at Celtic Manor next year.

Newspaper accountants seem to understand the value of sending reporters around the world less and less. The credit crunch means more and more have to stay home and follow events from the telly. But being the man on the spot means you get so much more than just to report on the action. You get the gossip from behind the scenes that has far more value - and that's certainly what Graham Otway has brought to the Daily Express today.

In the Middle East to report on the Abu Dhabi championship, he's heard what's emerging from the European Tour's tournament committee as they discuss the choice of Ryder Cup captain. And he's heard chief executive George O'Grady drop a significant hint. After confirming the mood that a decision is needed soon, O'Grady refused to name any candidates - apart from admitting "one big contender could not be here - Darren Clarke".

That means the popular Irishman should be a much shorter price to be Europe's next leader than the [12.5] on offer this morning. And it certainly underlines the doubts about long term favourite Jose Maria Olazabal.

The 42-year-old Spaniard, whose price is between [1.86] and [5.9], has been dithering ever since defeat at Valhalla over whether he can manage one more playing appearance in the competition before stepping up to take charge of the team. The indications were he wanted all winter to decide while he fought to get over the back injury that has troubled him so badly. The word from Abu Dhabi is the most he can have is a fortnight.

America named Corey Pavin as their leader more than a month ago, and O'Grady confirmed: "Originally the decision was going to go before the next meeting in May, but now the committee have clear views on the man they want the decision will be taken in Dubai in two weeks. There are several candidates, certainly more than two."

Olazabal's fitness will become more clear next week. He is due to play in the Qatar Masters and that will confirm pretty quickly if his back can stand up to a whole season, or whether he needs to put his clubs back in the cupboard and concentrate on becoming a captain.

Europe, incidentally, are currently [2.06] to regain the Cup, while America are [2.22] to keep it.

Five things you might not know about Jose Maria Olazabal

1. We think of him as Spanish - he'd probably consider himself a Basque. He was born in the tiny town of Hondarribia in 1966

2. His granddad was greenkeeper on a course that opened next to his house the day after his birth. He started hitting golf balls with a cut down club at the age of two.

3. He was just 20 when he played his first season on the European Tour and finished second in the Order of Merit

4. He'd won the British Amateur Championship two years older, and is the only person since the second World War to follow that by winning a Major as a professional

5. He famously holds the record for the longest completed putt - holing the ball down the full length of the Concorde cabin in 1999 meaning the ball travelled 9.232 miles!

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