U.S. Ryder Cup Team

The guessing game is over. Many were deliberating of US captain Corey Pavin and his four captain's pick for the Ryder Cup. One was way too obvious, Tiger Woods. The other three did have an air of mystery. The other three selected were Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and Rickie Fowler. Let's take a bit of a close look at the 12 US participants.

Will it be thumbs up for Lefty?

Phil Mickelson - Appearances: 8th; World Ranking: 2nd; Ryder Cup Record: 10-14-6

Lefty has had the opportunity to unseat Tiger as the world's #1 will little success. Still, Phil will be the defending Masters champ come April. He followed that win with a 2nd at Quail Hollow. Earlier this summer, Lefty told of an arthritic condition he is battling. That does give a pause for some concern going forward. Take into consideration how the weather will be when the competition starts and things could get a little hazy. The experience factor Phil brings will serve the "newcomers" well.

Hunter Mahan - Appearances: 2nd; World Ranking: 13th; Ryder Cup Record: 2-0-3
Mahan played in all five matches in Valhalla in 2008 and that alone could serve him well in Wales. He's seen it all except for the foreign soil aspect. His record could have been 3-0-2 if not for that drive on the 18th during the singles matches.Mahan won at the WCG-Bridgestone Invitational and the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Both events draw excellent fields and knowing the he's won provides Mahan with confidence.

Bubba Watson - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 25th: Ryder Cup Record: none
Bubba will more recently be known for his errant tee shot and second shot on the final playoff hole of the PGA Championship. He's more known for his long (extremely long) drives. Bubba did break through in 2010 scoring his first PGA TOUR victory (an emotional one at that) at the Travelers. Watson also has three other top-3 finishes in 2010 (Bob Hope Classic - T2, Transitions Champ. - 3rd and PGA Champ. - 2nd)

Jim Furyk - Appearances: 7th; World Ranking: 5th; Ryder Cup Record: 8-13-3
It wouldn't be a Ryder Cup if Furyk weren't on the team. His record isn't the greatest, but Furyk's course demeanor always serves as a lesson for the others. He seems so even keeled. Furyk also took home two trophies in 2010, the Verizon Heritage and the Transitions Championship. The win at the Transitions put Furyk's name back on the front page and deservedly so.

Steve Stricker - Appearances: 2nd; World Ranking: 4th; Ryder Cup Record: 0-2-1
Hard to believe this will only be Strick's 2nd go around with the Ryder Cup. Two wins (John Deere Classic and Northern Trust Open) and no missed cuts shows exactly how consistent Stricker is on the course. I think we all know who he will be paired with...Tiger. The two teamed up for the President's Cup last year and won all four points possibles in their matches.

Dustin Johnson - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 24th; Ryder Cup Record: none
How can you not want Dustin to do well? After the two-stroke penalty on the 72nd hole of the PGA, every American will probably root for Johnson more than any other player. That being said, all the other players know of Johnson's ability. He is the two-time winner of the AT and T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (2008 and 2009). That tourney boasts a pretty stellar field. And Johnson made the cut in all four majors this year despite the gaffe at Pebble for the US Open and the penalty at Whistling Straits (Masters - T38, US Open - T8, the Open Championship - T14, PGA - T5).

Jeff Overton - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 47th; Ryder Cup Record: none
The most amazing fact about Overton is that he made the team on points and did not record a single victory this year. Five top-3 finishes propelled the 27-year-old onto the team (The Greenbriar Classic - 2nd, AT and T National - 3rd, Colonial - T3, HP Byron Nelson - T2, Zurich Classic - 2nd). And he's still alive in the FedEx Cup. His tenacity will bode well in matches.

Matt Kuchar - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 11th; Ryder Cup Record: none
The one-time phenom has couldn't have righted the ship any better in 2010. Kuchar has also played well in the four majors (Masters - T24, US Open - T6, Open Champ. - T27 and PGA - T10). Kuchar also picked up a win at The Barclays to vault to the top of the FedEx Cup standings. He also has not missed a cut since Quail Hollow.

Has Woods found his swing?

Tiger Woods (captain's pick) - Appearances: 6th; World Ranking: 1st; Ryder Cup Record: 10-13-2

Woods RC record isn't anything to boast about, but Tiger still has an aura. Granted, not like it was a year ago, but having Tiger here still plants a seed. After a horrendous showing at the WGC-Bridgestone, Woods has managed a T11 last week at the Deutsche Bank and a T12 at The Barclays. Working with Sean Foley a bit has improved Woods' swing and it shows. That should provide some confidence for not only Tiger, but the rest of the team as well.

Zach Johnson (captain's pick) - Appearances: 2nd; World Ranking: 17th; Ryder Cup record: 1-2-1
Every year since his big win at The Masters, Johnson wins a tourney every year. This year provided another big win as he scored top honors at Colonial. Most people thought Johnson's selection was imminent, but he's only posted one top-ten since Colonial (T3 at the PGA). Regardless, just like Jeff Overton has tenacity, Johnson exudes it. He will scrap for every hole and every point.

Stewart Cink (captain's pick) - Appearances: 5th; World Ranking: 35th; Ryder Cup Record: 4-7-4
Since capturing the Open Championship last year, Cink has struggled logging only one top-5 finish in 2010, but that was at the WGC-Accenture Match Play. He RC record isn't impressive either, but Cink clawed is way from behind during last year's win at the Open and that may be all captain Corey Pavin needed to see.

Rickie Fowler (captain's pick) - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 33rd; Ryder Cup Record: none
This pick is not a surprise at all. Consider Fowler's Walker Cup record in the equation. Out of four possible points Fowler could receive in last year's competition, Fowler netted...four. His closest match was a 1-up win in the Saturday foursomes match. In his singles matches, Fowler was completely dominant in a 7-and-6 win on Saturday and followed with a 2-and-1 win on his Sunday match.

There are a couple that were left off the team and have you maybe scratching your head. Anthony Kim, J.B. Holmes, Lucas Glover, Ben Crane, Nick Watney and Bo Van Pelt all made Pavin's choices difficult.

Holmes and Kim played during the 2008 win at Valhalla and both posted winning records (Holmes: 2-0-1, Kim: 2-1-1). Kim paired with Lefty for the first three sessions and went 1-1-1 before lifting the hammer for the US on a 5&4 win over Sergio Garcia in the first singles match out on Sunday. Kim does struggle in coming back from a wrist ailment and has missed four consecutive cuts.

Holmes, a big hitter in his own right, also scored a singles win over Soren Hansen to go along with a victory in a pairing with Boo Weekley during the Saturday fourball matches. He has failed to register a win over the last two years on tour.

Are these the right guys to select? Considering their RC records, I'm inclined to say no. But we all know how crafty Pavin is. He already has a plan laid out.

Europe's Ryder Cup Team

European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie selected the final three members of his team yesterday. Let the questioning begin. Not like Monty is immune to a little controversy anyway.

No Justin Rose, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR this year. Talk about stating your case. One of those wins was at The Memorial, Jack's tourney. Rose is an alternate in case of injury.

No Paul Casey, ranked #9 in the world and two-time runner-up at the Match Play. Casey has also previously won the World Match Play Championships in England. This one baffles me more than Rose though. Casey has been on three previous Ryder Cup teams and was in contention during the final round of this year's Open Championship before that championship changing shot on #12.

The competition will begin October 1 and be played at Celtic Manor in Wales.

Let's look at all the members for Team Europe.

Lee Westwood - Appearances: 7th; World Ranking: 3rd; Ryder Cup Record: 14-10-5
Westwood is currently nursing a calf injury that forced him to withdraw from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. If Westwood in unable to go, his spot will go to Rose. Westwood broke through on American soil this year by winning the St. Jude Classic. Almost always the bridesmaid in majors, Westwood is known as a grinder on the course.

Graeme McDowell - Appearances: 2nd; World Ranking: 14th; Ryder Cup Record: 2-1-1
McDowell won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach this year. McDowell may well feel at home at Celtic Manor as he won the Celtic Manor Wales Open two weeks before his run through Pebble Beach. McDowell has not played in a world rankings tournament since missing the cut at the PGA Championship.

Martin Kaymer - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 5th; Ryder Cup Record: none
Kaymer may be a Euro rookie, but winning the PGA Championship in a playoff against American Bubba Watson (ranked 25th) showed he can play on a big stage. Going into the final hole of the playoff, it was similar to a match play situation. Win the hole, win the Wanamaker. There's no bigger stage than the Ryder Cup and his nerves will once again be tested.

Ian Poulter - Appearances: 3rd; World Ranking: 12th; Ryder Cup Record: 5-2-0
Poulter was a captain's pick in 2008 and collected four points in those matches going 4-1 during the event at Valhalla. Nick Faldo was heavily scrutinized for selecting Poulter and Ian put those questioning Sir Nick in check having the best event of any European player.

Ross Fisher - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 26th; Ryder Cup Record: none
Fisher is another rookie for Europe. He has a win at the 3 Irish Open this year. Fisher's record at the majors this year isn't impressive with three missed cuts. He did manage a T37 at The Open Championship.

Francesco Molinari - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 35th; Ryder Cup Record: none
Yet another rookie for the Euros. Molinari hasn't won since 2006 (Telecom Italia Open), but he did manage a solo 2nd at the Alstom Open de France, his highest finish this year. He also teamed up with his brother, Edoardo (also on the team) to win the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.

Peter Hanson - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 40th; Ryder Cup Record: none
Hanson is lowest ranked player for Europe, but don't be fooled by that. The Swede made the cut in the three majors in which he played. What's even more impressive is that Hanson has failed to make only one cut this year (BMW International Open). Hanson has also claimed two wins on the European Tour this year (Open Cala Millor Mallorca and Czech Open).

Rory McIlroy - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 7th; Ryder Cup Record: none
America has already seen what the kid from Northern Ireland can do with a mind-blowing 62 during the final round of the Quail Hollow Championship. He's also had success in Europe and people tend to forget that he won the Dubai Desert Classic in 2009.

Miguel Angel Jimenez - Appearances: 4th; World Ranking: 38th; Ryder Cup Record: 2-7-3
I know Europe has some talented players, but I'd pay a lot to watch The Mechanic play. I simply love his course demeanor. And he can play some golf, too. Jimenez owns a pair of European Tour victories this year (Alstom Open de France and Omega Dubai Desert Classic). Who could ever forget his shot on the Road Hole (#17) at The Open Championship this year.

Padraig Harrington (captain's pick) - Appearances: 6th; World Ranking: 19th; Ryder Cup Record: 7-11-3
Harrington may be the most controversial of Monty's pick despite his world ranking of 19th. Paddy has not won since the 2009 Irish PGA Championship, but has managed to pick up his game a bit as of late. He finished 2nd at this year's 3 Irish Open and a T5 at The Travelers. It is hard to think about leaving a three-time major champ off the team.

Luke Donald (captain's pick) - Appearances: 3rd; World Ranking: 11th; Ryder Cup Record: 5-1-1
Kind of weird that Donald didn't make the team on points especially since he's #11 in the world. He took home top honors at the Madrid Masters this year to go along with a couple of third place finishes (Celtic Manor Wales Open and RBC Canadian Open) since his win. He, like Graeme McDowell, returns to a course where he had success this season.

Edoardo Molinari (captain's pick) - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 15th; Ryder Cup Record: none
Francesco's brother was pretty much a lock before pulling off an outstanding final round to win the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles yesterday. Monty himself said it was as good as it gets. The Masters provided the only major in which he did not make the cut. He was also a T4 at the Celtic Manor Wales Open.

Monty has 6 newcomers to the pressure packed stage of playing for a Ryder Cup (McIlroy, Hanson, the Molinari brothers, Fisher and Kaymer). It would have been difficult for Monty to explain to Edoardo Molinari why he wouldn't have made the cut, but leaving off Casey and Rose, both Ryder Cup veterans, may have been a bit wiser. Of those with experience, Jimenez has seen the least success. Plus, the loss of Westwood, if he's unable to go, would be a big hit to the hopes of Europe.

U.S. captain Corey Pavin will announce his four captain's picks on September 7th.