Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker have been selected by Davis Love III to complete his United States Ryder Cup team…
The quartet were Love’s choices for his Captain’s wild card picks for the match against Europe at Medinah Country Club, near Chicago, Illinois from September 28-30.
Love said: “I can’t tell you how excited I am that these four guys are going to round our team out. I think we’re extremely deep this time, deeper than we’ve ever been.”
The four players join the eight already qualified via the points list for the match, which gets underway in just over three weeks.
The eight qualifiers were Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner. Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Webb Simpson, Bubba Watson and Tiger Woods.
Snedeker is a fourth debutant on the US team, while Johnson is playing in the event for the second time after featuring in the 2010 defeat at The Celtic Manor Resort.
On announcing his wild cards, Love III said: “We need hot putters and there really hasn’t been a hotter putter on Tour since The Open (than Snedeker).
“He brings lot on and off the course and to the team room, he can pair with anyone, he’s a great asset.
“(Johnson is) the best athlete on the team and he’s perfect for Medinah. I said I was going to try to plug some holes we had, and I think he does that.”
On veterans Furyk and Stricker, making their eighth and third appearances respectively, he added: “We also needed experience, Jim is one of the most consistent players on the Tour and one of the most respected.
“I’ve been in the team room with him five times, this will be his eighth team and he was 5-0 in his last international match (the 2011 President’s Cup).
“(Stricker has) been the best player in my mind on tour the last five or six years.
“He’s another guy that pairs well with anybody and another great putter, and he’s somebody I really trust on and off the course – he’s been a great asset to me already getting prepared for this day.”
Love concluded: “A lot of guys played a lot of really good golf, it was tough to leave anybody off. We could have gone very deep this year down the points list.
“There’s four great players that we have picked that all bring a lot to the team, but it was definitely a tough call.
“We’re looking to match guys up, we’re looking for pairings, we’re looking to plug some holes, we’re looking to add some experience, add some putters… these guys all fill those roles perfectly.
“I can’t tell you how excited I’m going to be for the next 22 days to talk to these guys, work with these guys and get ready to play some golf.”
Mickelson will be making his ninth consecutive Ryder Cup appearance, which sets the U.S. Team record for most consecutive appearances, and most all-time appearances.
2012 U.S. Ryder Cup Team
Place/Player/Years/Ryder Cup Record
Top 8 Positions Earn Automatic Berths
1 Tiger Woods 1997, 99, 2002, 04, 06, 10 / 13-14-2
2 Bubba Watson, 2010 / 1-3-0
3 Jason Dufner, Debut
4 Keegan Bradley, Debut
5 Webb Simpson, Debut
6 Zach Johnson, 2006, 10 / 3-3-1
7. Matt Kuchar, 2010 / 1-1-2
8. Phil Mickelson, 1995, 97, 99, 2002, 04, 06, 08, 10 / 11-17-6
Captain’s Selections
10. Steve Stricker, 2008, 1010 / 3-3-1
11. Jim Furyk, 1997, 99, 2002, 04, 06, 08, 10 / 8-15-4
13. Brandt Snedeker, Debut
15. Dustin Johnson, 2010 / 1-3-0
European Captain José María Olazábal finalised his European team a fortnight ago when he announced Nicolas Colsaerts and Ian Poulter as his two wild cards to join Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Peter Hanson, Martin Kaymer, Paul Lawrie, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose and Lee Westwood.
* Picture by Getty Images.
