In the weeks
leading up to Monday’s announcement, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III said
he wanted to use his four captain’s picks to find a hot player, good putters
and experience.
His four picks –
Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker – checked each of
Captain Love’s designated boxes.
It meant leaving
off Hunter Mahan, who finished ninth in points and won twice this year, Rickie
Fowler, whose game went as flat as his cap brim over the summer and Nick
Watney, who I probably would have given the spot over Furyk.
In announcing his
four choices, Love called this “the deepest, strongest year of earning points”
he can remember which made narrowing his choices more difficult.
If one of the four
flames out against the Europeans at Medinah next month, it will be easy to say
Love made a mistake but at the moment, it’s hard to argue with his choices.
Stricker was a
lock because he’s one of the world’s best putters, a perfect partner for Tiger
Woods and the kind of guy Love and others want in the team room. When it comes
to team chemistry, he’s a huge asset.
Picking Snedeker
was a good move because he’s playing well, he can putt with his eyes closed and
it’s his time to be on a Ryder Cup team. Snedeker has quietly become a
top-level player and his enthusiasm should be a nice addition to a team with
low-key personalities such as Jason Dufner, Johnson, Furyk and Woods.
Johnson played his
way onto the team over the last month after missing a big early chunk of the
season due to an injury. Imagine Johnson and Bubba Watson paired in alternate
shot, just for the pure awe aspect of the shots they might hit together.
If there’s a rap on
Johnson, it’s that he’s not a great putter. But he’s too talented to leave off.
Furyk stumbled home
in the U.S. Open and the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, kicking away big wins
that raised questions about whether Love would choose him. But Furyk has been on almost as many U.S.
teams as red, white and blue and figures to be a calm presence in a tense
event.
But he’s 8-15-4 in
his Ryder Cup career and Love will likely sit him in four-ball (best ball)
competition where he’s a dreadful 1-8-1.
Love answered one
set of questions Monday. Bigger questions await at Medinah.
3 comments:
I'd hate to have to make those choices inasmuch as someone capable will inevitably be omitted and the captain still competes against these people. I think Furyk should have been the odd man out this time.
Furyk's experience is his record. Why in God's name would anyone want that record over a Hunter Mahan who is chomping at the bit to make amens for last Cup. Davis, you better win.
Furyk loses in Ryder Cup and so have most of the teams he was on. He was the only bad pick. And for crying out loud Davis, don't let him play for more than 5 hours.
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