Darren Clarke

This in the face of strong criticism by a number of British and European players including Lee Westwood who told Reuters this week, "I thought the idea was to put out our best side.

"The last time I checked the Ryder Cup it was between Europeans and Americans, not the European Tour and the US Tour.

"If Luke Donald qualifies through getting enough world ranking points but misses out by not playing 11 events counting on the European Tour, it would be a shame," Westwood added.

Donald, along with Swede's Jesper Parnevik, Carl Pettersson and Mathias Gronberg have ruled themselves out of this year's Ryder Cup in September, reasoning that because their schedule this year cannot fit in 11 European Tour events, they will have to forgo their European Tour membership and thus the chance of a Ryder Cup place.

Clarke, himself a committee member who will be playing a lot of his golf in the US this year, does not agree with Westwood and the others opposed to the 11-event rule.

"To be on the team a player should be a member of the European Tour and that is the view I voiced at the committee meeting," said Clarke at the Forest of Arden where he is playing in the British Open.

"Sure Parnevik and Donald are very strong players, but there has to be some kind of commitment.

"I understand their point of view and some time down the line we should review this, but it would be unwise to change it at this stage."

Parnevik, one of the stalwarts European side that has won three of their last four Ryder Cup matches against the US disclosed on Friday that he would not attempt to make himself available again because the 11-tournament rule would make for a tour schedule that would not be acceptable to him.

"I was actually going to try to cut down my schedule in 2004 because I played so much last year and didn't really want to beat myself up for maybe getting in the Ryder Cup," he said.

And Donald's view?

"I'd love to play in a Ryder Cup, but if I'm not in the top 50 in the world rankings (he's currently 85th) there’s no way I can even think about playing 11 events in Europe."