If Nick Faldo had wanted to feed the conspiracy theorists, then he could not have done a better job than in his selection of Ian Poulter and Paul Casey for his wild-card picks for the Europe Ryder Cup team that will attempt to lift the trophy for the fourth time in succession, at Valhalla in Kentucky, in just under three weeks.

In what some will interpret as a case of jobs for his boys, Faldo ignored the claims of an inform and mightily experienced Darren Clarke and an out-of-form though equally experienced Ryder Cup player in Colin Montgomerie. Another player worthy of consideration would have been Carl Pettersson, of Sweden.

From the moment Poulter decided not to play in the Johnnie Walker Championship, the final qualifying event, at Gleneagles last week, it had been suggested that the captain must have already assured him of his place. It led to furious denials from the Englishman - who went on to miss his second halfway cut in as many weeks, at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston - but the suggestions are not about to go away.

In Poulter’s defence, it is fair to believe that he had not been told of his selection in advance, but there is a strong suggestion that Faldo had already made up his mind before play got under way in Scotland. He pointed out that Poulter had done superbly well under intense pressure in finishing runner-up at the Open Championship in July, but steered around the point that he had only two top-ten finishes this year.

“Ian is a very determined guy,” Faldo said. “I love his attitude and obviously what he did at the Open Championship. That back nine, he played with the intention to win. I said to him, ‘Raquel , go and put your overcoat on [a reference to the character from Only Fools and Horses]. It’s time to go to the Ryder Cup.’ He was absolutely gobsmacked.”

On the eve of the Open at Royal St George’s in 2003, Poulter, Casey and Justin Rose - three young lads in awe of a six-time major champion, but now about to go into battle for him - played a practice round with Faldo. In lighter moments, Poulter and Faldo were seen to mimic Boycey, from the famous sitcom. It is such friendship that Faldo will be looking towards in the team room and on the course.

Casey, too, has continued to catch Faldo’s eye. His form early in the season was indifferent but, despite also missing the cut in Boston, has recently been in good touch, particularly at the major championships. “Tee to green, Paul has been playing absolutely the best,” the captain said.

According to Faldo, Poulter was speechless when told of his inclusion. Casey’s reaction, he said, would have to wait because he was “in the air” over the United States and would not know until his plane had landed. On hearing of his inclusion, Poulter said: “I am absolutely thrilled by my selection. The last few weeks have been extremely tense for me along with all of us trying to make the team.”

While Faldo had spent the afternoon calling those who had not made the team, it was surprising, though perhaps a touch predictable, that he had only been able to leave a message on Montgomerie’s answerphone.

In a statement, Montgomerie said that he was disappointed, though excited for the team. “Our lineup is fantastic, headed up by Padraig [Harrington], who is playing the best golf in the world right now. I am utterly confident the team will triumph again this year.” Clarke was equally as diplomatic. “I fully respect the captain’s decision,” he said. “I will be supporting them from wherever I am.”

Paul Azinger, Faldo’s US counterpart, merely expressed surprise. “I thought it was between Casey and Poulter,” he said. “His dilemma is a nice one to have. You look at all the guys he had to choose [from]. I don’t have that. It’s not like I have a bunch of veterans with monster records at the Ryder Cup."

At the start of the Johnnie Walker Championship, Rose, Søren Hansen and Oliver Wilson were in the final automatic places in the standings, and as Grégory Havret, of France, was putting the finishing touches to a fine one-shot victory over Graeme Storm. That is how it remained.

Three players - Martin Kaymer, who missed the cut, Ross Fisher and Nick Dougherty - could have supplanted them, but by the start of the fourth round, only Wilson’s place was truly under threat. And not by much.

As with Rose and Hansen, Wilson, 27, will make his debut for Europe. In the tenth and final spot, he had been vulnerable to attack, but had worked out by the start of the final round that a top-25 finish would require Dougherty to win the tournament to take his place. It was not to be. A final round of 69 gave Wilson a seven-under-par total of 285, which was seven shots behind Havret.

Rose finished strongly, which is good news for Europe’s cause, a round of 71 moving him to ten under par and equal fifth. Hansen, finished three shots behind after a 75.

But if the day belonged to any of the main contenders, it was Wilson - who, in four years on tour, has yet to record his first win. He was highly vulnerable during the second round, when he looked odds-on to miss the cut before picking up four shots in eight holes to get in on the line. From that point on he was able to keep his pursuers at bay and rounds of 76, 72, 68 and 69 displayed the fighting spirit Faldo and his teammates will be looking for.