U.S. Ryder Cup Captain's Pick candidates

[bogie]

If the European captain's picks situation is clearing up, the U.S. captain's picks for Corey Pavin is cloudy and crowded. Here's a look at some candidates based in order of the final points list:

9. Lucas Glover: Missed cut this week. His chance to earn a captain's pick seems to have disappeared with those 3 bogeys on the back 9 last week in Greensboro and ended up finishing 7th. After a good 2009 capped off with a U.S. Open win, 2010 has been a struggle. Glover's best result is finishing 3rd at the TPC. Estimate: Needs top 3 in Boston next week to be considered for team.

10. Anthony Kim: Since returning from surgery Kim has finished T76 at Firestone and missed 3 cuts. The spark plug for the U.S. team in 2008 is in danger of missing the 2010 team. He missed the U.S. & British in an effort to be ready for the PGA & play the Ryder Cup. Considering the low scores that have been shot in Boston a final score of -14 and a top 10 finish would clinch his spot. Nothing in his game so far upon his return indicates such a result is near.

11. Zach Johnson: Win at Colonial. A timely 3rd at the PGA. Two more nice rounds this weekend and Johnson will have punched his ticket onto the team. Johnson would add reliable iron play, steady putting and a grinders mentality to the grip & rip roster that's in place. In style, similar to the way captain Pavin was.

14. Stewart Cink: After his playoff win over the people's favorite in Tom Watson at the British Open in 2009, Cink has struggled. A high finish this weekend would be his best result all season. According to press accounts Cink is a guy who gets along with his peers and therefore capable of being paired with anybody. Selecting Cink would be a vote for experience and steadiness.

15. Ben Crane: Among the candidates, the least flashy but has solid 2010 results. Won at Torrey Pines. T-3 at Colonial and T-4 at TPC, but not close to the lead. A top 5-finish at the Barclays would force his name into Pavin's conversation. The strength of his game is putting. Z. Johnson, Cink, Crane--all steady eddie candidates whose games are best suited to alternate shot.

18. Sean O'Hair: Finished T-4 in Hawaii and T-7 at the British Open, but not close to the lead. His best outing in 2010 was a fifth at Firestone where Mahan went low to win it. O'Hair has a good all-around game: off the tee, with his irons and scrambling. His struggles come with the putter. On pure talent he's more gifted than anyone on this list except Kim. With all the relative youth on this team and Pavin perhaps looking for some experience, O'Hair needs a top-5 this weekend or next to get on the team.

As for Tiger Woods it has been a down season by his standard, all his stats are down except for driving distance and he's never fared well in the team matches atthe Ryder Cup.

It would take huge stones on Pavin's part to leave Woods off the team for 1 simple reason: 14 major wins.

Unless Woods was wailing the ball off the tee to use baseball lingo "way foul" down the left field and right field lines, he was never in danger of not being picked.

[James_Black]

If corey didn't pick tiger and the U.S loses (which will happen this year) the media will be all over him.
Even if tiger is hacking the ball around the place he has to pick him.

Zach Johnson wouldn't be a bad pick.
I'd like to see JB Holmes play as well.

[bogie]

If the European captain's picks situation is clearing up, the U.S. captain's picks for Corey Pavin is cloudy and crowded. Here's a look at some candidates based in order of the final points list:

9. Lucas Glover: Missed cut this week. His chance to earn a captain's pick seems to have disappeared with those 3 bogeys on the back 9 last week in Greensboro and ended up finishing 7th. After a good 2009 capped off with a U.S. Open win, 2010 has been a struggle. Glover's best result is finishing 3rd at the TPC. Estimate: Needs top 3 in Boston next week to be considered for team.

10. Anthony Kim: Since returning from surgery Kim has finished T76 at Firestone and missed 3 cuts. The spark plug for the U.S. team in 2008 is in danger of missing the 2010 team. He missed the U.S. & British in an effort to be ready for the PGA & play the Ryder Cup. Considering the low scores that have been shot in Boston a final score of -14 and a top 10 finish would clinch his spot. Nothing in his game so far upon his return indicates such a result is near.

11. Zach Johnson: Win at Colonial. A timely 3rd at the PGA. Two more nice rounds this weekend and Johnson will have punched his ticket onto the team. Johnson would add reliable iron play, steady putting and a grinders mentality to the grip & rip roster that's in place. In style, similar to the way captain Pavin was.

14. Stewart Cink: After his playoff win over the people's favorite in Tom Watson at the British Open in 2009, Cink has struggled. A high finish this weekend would be his best result all season. According to press accounts Cink is a guy who gets along with his peers and therefore capable of being paired with anybody. Selecting Cink would be a vote for experience and steadiness.

15. Ben Crane: Among the candidates, the least flashy but has solid 2010 results. Won at Torrey Pines. T-3 at Colonial and T-4 at TPC, but not close to the lead. A top 5-finish at the Barclays would force his name into Pavin's conversation. The strength of his game is putting. Z. Johnson, Cink, Crane--all steady eddie candidates whose games are best suited to alternate shot.

18. Sean O'Hair: Finished T-4 in Hawaii and T-7 at the British Open, but not close to the lead. His best outing in 2010 was a fifth at Firestone where Mahan went low to win it. O'Hair has a good all-around game: off the tee, with his irons and scrambling. His struggles come with the putter. On pure talent he's more gifted than anyone on this list except Kim. With all the relative youth on this team and Pavin perhaps looking for some experience, O'Hair needs a top-5 this weekend or next to get on the team.

As for Tiger Woods it has been a down season by his standard, all his stats are down except for driving distance and he's never fared well in the team matches at the Ryder Cup.

It would take huge stones on Pavin's part to leave Woods off the team for 1 simple reason: 14 major wins.

Unless Woods was wailing the ball off the tee to use baseball lingo "way foul" down the left field and right field lines, he was never in danger of not being picked.

[bogie]

Going into the final round at the Barclays the U.S. Ryder Cup ticker show Fowler and Palmer up. Cink, Crane and O'Hair are down.

Palmer has had a roller coaster season. Win in Hawaii, 2nd at Firestone. The rest of his season includes 11 missed cuts. He's long off the tee and has good putting stats though. A timely top 3 finish at Ridgewood would give him a leg up over Crane and O'Hair going into Boston next week.

Fowler would be an intriguing pick. He's long off the tee and puts the ball on the green consistently. He has 2 second at Phoenix & the Memorial this year. Fowler's also missed 7 cuts. One reasons he delayed turning pro in 2009 was to play the Walker Cup at Merion, where the U.S. won. Not that results as an amateur is indicative of what will happen as a pro, but the fact that he wants to be in teams situations is a plus. Working against him are a balky putter plus the fact the U.S. has a lot of new faces on the team. A 68 or 69 tomorrow would definitely have to open captain Pavin's eyes.

Woods and it looks like Z. Johnson will be in. Hopefully Kim will show some life in Boston with a bunch of birdies. If that happens the last decision next week could be between 4 players in Cink, Fowler, O'Hair and Palmer-if he has a good result today.

[Sing Golfer]

Unfortunately the US Team has too many rookies for Pavin to go for Fowler. He has to try and find experienced players with putters that are working at the moment.

[bogie]

Going into Boston this Thursday the seesaw for Ryder Cup captain's picks continues. Assuming Woods and Z. Johnson will be 2 of the picks here's a sketch of the contenders.

Up
21 Ryan Palmer
Won Hawaii. Missed 10 cuts in 11 starts in between Bay Hill and Canada. 2nd Firestone, 5th Barclays. Long ball hitter, solid putting stats this season. In 2008, Azinger got the wild card selection period extended for a player like Palmer-- a player between 9 - 25 on the points listing "warming" up just before the Cup.
Last 3 starts: 2nd Firestone, T-33 PGA, T-5 Ridgewood

15 Ben Crane

Won Torrey Pines. Along with that win his season has been built on high finishes at TPC & Colonial in May. Steady iron player who's a pretty good putter. Cink is a longer driver off the tee but in many other ways their game are stylistically similar.
Last 3 starts: T-58 Firestone, T-39 PGA, T-12 Ridgewood

Down
14 Stewart Cink: My guess is the third round 73 at Ridgewood is the stumbling block between him already sealing the deal with a captain's pick considering his experience and personality. Cink has had an ok season finishing up a lot between 15 and 25 on leader boards. His best result was 8th at the Memorial.
Last 3 starts: T-19 Firestone, T-18 PGA, T-25 Ridgewood.

19 Sean O'Hair: O'Hair played steady golf at Ridgewood but just couldn't put together a low round to get into contention. O'Hair has no top 3s this season. His best results are T-4 in Hawaii, 5th Firestone, T-7 British. He hasn't played poorly but his results are cool right now, the opposite of what you want in a captain's pick.
Last 3 starts: 5th Firestone, Cut PGA, T-31 Ridgewood

Wild Wild Card
10 Anthony Kim: Needs 3 very good rounds in Boston to show life in his game after 3 consecutive missed cuts upon his return to the tour. His talent suits 4-ball, his brash enthusiasm is a plus in the locker room. But he needs to shake off the rust in a short period of time to make the team.

[mcfc_nick]

Tigers a given

the way Johnsons playing recently he's having one

AK needs to get his game back this week and start making birdies (he made 1 last week) otherwise he isnt getting a pick. no matter how good he was at valhalla if he keeps playing like he is then he just wont get picked.

Ben Crane's playing steadily recently but i cant see him getting one

I know id pick Fowler, who cares how many rookies are on your team, they can all play the game, i mean we have 6 rookies on our team, ok 3 of them are Rory, Kaymer & Fisher who dont really seem like rookies but they still are, and fowler seems like the kind of kid who wouldnt even think about the pressure of the ryder cup so i think he'd be a great pick for you's

if i was pavin id pick tiger, johnson, AK (dependent on him making the cut this week) and fowler

[Connor.]

throw a curve ball in there and pick freddy couples...shock everyone

[senorchipotle]

throw a curve ball in there and pick freddy couples...shock everyone

why would he do that?

when he could throw a knuckler and pick tom watson.

[Sing Golfer]

the only upside to a curve ball is if you win - otherwise it will forever be labelled as the decision that defined your captaincy.

Woods, Zach Johnson, O'Hair and Fowler are my picks. I think Monty has messed his up. Rose and Casey were the two sensible choices.