Just when you thought Darren Clarke’s job as European Ryder Cup captain looked easy and Thomas Pieters goes and wins the Made In Denmark event.

Pieters historic victory, and becoming the first Belgium-born golfer to win three times on the European Tour, was too late for automatic Hazeltine team selection but could not have come at a more important time and with Clarke set to announce his three ‘wildcard’ picks on Tuesday at 12.30pm (UK time).

Prior to the Made in Denmark many observers had chosen Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood and Scotland’s Russell Knox as the three Clarke selections and it’s what would surely have been thinking.

But Pietiers win has thrown a real spanner in Clarke’s selection process.

Europe’s captain is surely facing a Tartan golf backlash if he doesn’t pick Knox.   If he does, it will mean a record-equalling six rookies and the same number of first-time Ryder Cup stars Colin Montgomerie took into competition in 2010 at Celtic Manor.

But then there is the likelihood Clarke could pick both Knox and the very in-form Pieters.

However, Clarke can surely not pick Pieters ahead of Knox given the Scot recently captured the Travellers Championship among a world-class field whereas, and taking nothing away from Pieters success, but that was in a field boasting just four players inside the top-50 on the World Rankings and that was Ireland’s Shane Lowry at No. 35.

One thing is certain, who would want to be in Clarke’s shoes!