Bunker’s Dozen: September 2008

This month’s list features a heavy dose of Ryder Cup and FedExCup.

Thrash TalkThe 2008 Ryder Cup is in the books, and the United States was victorious for the first time since 1999. The competition was close all weekend, and things could have gone either way. In the end, however, the Americans prevailed over the highly-favored Europeans.

Speaking of cups, the 2008 FedExCup Playoffs are nearly in the books as well. The Tour Championship begins this week, and while Vijay Singh has things wrapped up so long as he can complete all four rounds, there will be a lot of movement within the rest of the field. Singh won the first two playoff events, and Camilo Villegas picked up his first career PGA Tour victory at the third.

Can the United States Ryder Cup team hold off Vijay Singh and Camilo Villegas in this month’s rankings? Keep reading to find out. If you have anything to add, please comment below or discuss them in the forum.

1
United States Ryder Cup Team

United States Ryder Cup Team brought the Cup back to America for the first time since the miracle at Brookline. They definitely partied like it was 1999.

2
Vijay Singh

Vijay Singh won the the Deutsche Bank Championship in dominant fashion and nearly has the FedExCup in his grasp.

3
The 37th Ryder Cup

The 37th Ryder Cup was a great spectacle as it always is. The fans, atmosphere, and golf were all great, and it doesn’t get any better than that.

4
Camilo Villegas

Camilo Villegas won the BMW Championship to earn his first-career PGA Tour victory. The sky is the limit for the young Colombian.

5
Jim Furyk

Jim Furyk finished in a tie for seventh at Deutsche Bank and a tie for third at the BMW Championship. Furyk also defeated Miguel Angel Jimenez in Sunday singles to clinch the Ryder Cup.

6
Paul Azinger

Paul Azinger made all the right decisions in leading the United States to victory at Valhalla. Zinger needs to pass on being the 2010 captain and ride off into the sunset.

7
Ian Poulter

Ian Poulter went 4-1 at the Ryder Cup after Nick Faldo was heavily criticized for picking his fellow Englishman. No golfer from either team won as many points as Poulter.

8
Hunter Mahan

Hunter Mahan finished in a tie for eighth at the BMW Championship to clinch his spot in the Tour Championship. The U.S. Ryder Cup rookie also picked up a team-high 3.5 points in victory.

9
Robert Karlsson

Robert Karlsson won the Mercedes-Benz Championship a couple weeks ago and moved up to second in the European Tour Order of Merit. The Swede also went 1-1-2 at the Ryder Cup.

10
The 2008 Newport Cup

The 2008 Newport Cup didn’t get the hype the Ryder Cup did, but The Sand Trap staff had a great time nonetheless. Also, I was on the winning team for the first time in three tries.

11
Anthony Kim

Anthony Kim finished in a tie for third at the BMW Championship and completely dominated Sergio Garcia in Sunday singles at the Ryder Cup.

12
Michelle Wie

Michelle Wie decided to go to LPGA Q-School, and she breezed through the first stage by finishing in a tie for fourth. The saga continues.

13
Nick Faldo

Nick Faldo didn’t pick Darren Clarke to be a part of the Ryder Cup, and while he still did a pretty solid job, his team lost. That won’t sit well with European fans for the next two years.

Dropped Out: Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, The FedExCup, Fred Funk, Darren Clarke, Carl Pettersson, Ji-Yai Shin, Danny Lee, Highway 18, Scott Piercy, Chez Reavie, and Ben Curtis.

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