Turkish Airlines Open preview, picks and analysis

HATS off to Ian Poulter. He is a colourful character who, over the years, has attracted a fair amount of criticism but you cannot question his commitment to the European Tour and to the Ryder Cup. Last week he faced a dash halfway across the world to play in the Hong Kong Open and this week he will tee up in the Turkish Airlines Open, the first of the European Tour's Final Series, which will culminate in the Dubai World Championship.

And the reason? Poulter has fallen to 51st in the world rankings, which means his place in the majors and the World Golf Championship events is no longer guaranteed. He needs to get himself back up the rankings by December 31 or else he will find himself on the outside looking in.

Victor Dubuisson will look to recapture the for that saw him win in Turkey in 2013

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Make no mistake about it. If you are not in the fields for these events then the chances of qualifying for the Ryder Cup, or ascending the rankings, are slim to non-existent. Nobody needs to be told how much the Ryder Cup means to Poulter, and he is determined to play his way onto the team as a matter of right this time, rather than having to depend on a wild card from Darren Clarke, the European captain. A team without Poulter in its ranks would be a bit like fish without chips.

But he knows that he cannot depend on Clarke for any favours - and he is not alone. There is a changing of the guard in European golf, with Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, both former world No1s, also sliding down the rankings. Donald missed out on the Ryder Cup in 2014, when Paul McGinley opted to pick Poulter instead. It hurt Donald, but he was man enough to admit that his form had been sufficiently patchy that he didn't really merit selection.

It was in Turkey a couple of years ago that we first became aware of the quality of Victor Dubuisson, when he tore through the field to win. He narrowly failed win the Accenture World Matchplay the following year, losing to Jason Day in the final despite some heroic recovery play. The Frenchman went from strength to strength, but 2015 has been a year to forget, and he will be hoping that a return to Turkey will allow him to draw on some positive memories and get him going again. He is too good a player to be in the doldrums for long.

It promises to be a fantastic week, with Shane Lowry, Chris Wood, Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick all flying the flag for the coming generation, and I believe the winner will come from that elite group. Wood seems to have finally put his injury woes behind him. The giant Bristolian has had back and wrist problems but he got back into the winner's circle at the beginning of the season and has played consistently well in recent weeks. He is due another victory. Fleetwood is one of the most frustrated players on tour - he seems to contend every week, but there is always a poor-ish round that prevents him from winning. He works very, very hard at his game and is a wonderful ball striker, but his putting has been a disappointment.

Fitzpatrick won the British Masters in sparkling fashion and has been tipped by many as the next big thing. If temperament plays any part in that (and it does), it is inevitable that the 21-year-old from Sheffield will soon find himself in the world's top 20, challenging for majors. Lowry made the big breakthrough when won the Bridgestone Invitational, a WGC event, in America. The Irishman has firmly established himself as one of the best golfers on the planet and believes he can win any tournament in which he plays. He hits the ball a long way, but it is his short game that marks him out as being special, and he is certain to be a key member of Clarke's team in 2016.

These young men are all bursting with confidence and are rapidly climbing the rankings. Just watch them go.

Turkish Airlines Open Betting PIcks

To win - Shane Lowry 16/1 Doesn't have bad weeks

Each way - Tommy Fleetwood 45/1 Desperate to finish off a decent season with a win

Each way - Victor Dubuisson 45/1 Will dig deep into the memory bank

Turkish Airlines Open Fantasy Picks

Shane Lowry. Terrific player, with no weaknesses

Tommy Fleetwood. Will hope to hole a few putts

Victor Dubuisson. Time to turn things around

Ian Poulter. No shortage of determination

Chris Wood. In wonderful form,

Matt Fitzpatrick. The next big thing

Andy Sullivan. Still walking on water

Marc Warren. Very underrated player

Thomas Pieters. A quality act

George Coetzee. Big-hitter with touch of an angel