Darren Clarke is hoping to clinch a place in the 2008 Ryder Cup

Darren Clarke has admitted he needs to play well over the next two weeks to have any chance of getting a place in Europe's Ryder Cup team.

No longer able to qualify automatically for the side to face Amercia, Clarke would need to be one of captain Nick Faldo's two wild card selections.

"I am desperate to make it," said Clarke ahead of Holland's KLM Open.

"But if I do not play well these two weeks I would have no complaints if I did not get picked."

In the 2006 Ryder Cup in Ireland, Clarke was an inspiration to Ian Woosnam's team as he won all his three games just six weeks after his wife Heather had died of breast cancer.

He has been a member of the last five sides and two years ago was the first time he had needed a wild card.

With Irish fans cheering his every move at The K Club, Clarke won both his fourballs with Lee Westwood and then beat Zach Johnson in the singles before dissolving into tears.

He and Westwood have won their last four games together and also had two victories in partnership in Boston in 1999.

Colin Montgomerie, Paul Casey, Open runner-up Ian Poulter and US Tour winner Carl Pettersson also need a wild card as things stand.

Faldo's decision is to be announced on 31 August.