The U.S. Would Like To Play The Ryder Cup This Week

In recent years, a look at the U.S. Ryder Cup points standings a few months from the event could be eye-opening, even depressing, but as Jason Sobel notes, not this year.

Just look at the options after the first eight of Bubba Watson, Jason Dufner, Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Zach Johnson, Keegan Bradley and Rickie Fowler.

Sobel writes:

The next eight on the current points list – Steve Stricker, Tiger Woods, Bill Haas, Brandt Snedeker, Ben Curtis, Johnson Wagner, Kyle Stanley and Mark Wilson – have each won a Tour event already in the year’s first five months, giving the captain plenty of ammo for his four wild-card selections.

All of which leads to one prevailing notion: The team will never be hotter than it is right now.

Granted, that only increases the U.S. chances by mere percentage points. As we’ve often witnessed over the years, the hotter team on paper hardly owns much of an advantage once the first balls are in the air at this biennial grindfest, but even the smallest advantage is still an advantage.

Comments

[Milton]

The captain's pick guessing game gets even more exciting when you elimate one pick from the pool as one has to assume that Tiger Woods will get an automatic bid.

[BrianS]

Tiger, Haas, Snedeker and one other up and comer. I'm thinking Stricker will be odd man out, which is too bad, since its in the Midwest. That might save him, but he needs to start playing well.

[steve elling]

Had just looked this up when I saw this posting. At the end of March, there were four Yanks in the world top 13. Now there are 8. Trending up for sure. Sobel is right. Could be a great RC for sure with top 3 in world on Euro side.

[BetterThanMost]

BrianS,

If Tiger's in, then Stricker's in.

[DTF]

Stricker made 49 cuts in a row going into the Players. He has a win and 4 top-10's (includes the win) in 8 events for the 2012 season. In addition he has 8 wins since the 2009 Colonial (exactly 3 calendar years).

Ol' 3-Iron has a win this year too but hasn't cracked the top-25 in his last 8 events which includes 2 missed cuts.

Stricker is a dozen spots ahead of Ol' 3-Iron in the OWGR and only slightly behind him on the money list despite only playing 8 events to 3-Iron's 13 events. Stricker is the only player on tour with multiple wins the last 3 years ('09, '10, '11). Stricker has 6 team appearances under his belt (4 PC, 2 RC), and was 3-1 in the last Ryder Cup. He's also known to be a good influence on you know who.

I will guarantee you Stricker is a lock for this team.

Ol' 3-Iron, he needs to start playing better.

[raggededge]

I thought it was Ol' 2-Iron....

[gov. lepetomane]

Stricker: humanATM1
Kuchar: humanATM2
Both are money.

[Jeremy]

Anyone who thinks Stricker isn't a lock for the team is a fool.

There are really only 2 captain's picks as of today. Tiger and Stricker are stone cold locks.

I've gotta think guys like Webb Simpson and Dustin Johnson will climb back up in the standings by the end of the summer to really make this interesting.

[DTF]

ragged, the dude can't hit the middle of the face of an 8-iron....much less a 2-iron! (doesn't carry a 2, should trade his 3, 4, and 5 in for hybrids)

Jeremy, let's just say "mistaken" or something like that, no need to get into any name calling ;0)

[rb]

Breaking News...Shackleford wins the Met Mile at Belmont!...now back to the Ryder Cup team in training.

[Caleb's Posse]

rb
Wow, did he look great!! What a tough competitor.

[Ivan Morris]

It's all swinging U-S-A's way at the moment but there is plenty of time for the pendulum to change direction. It's a bit early to be getting excited - chill out guys! Match play golf is all about momentum, which can change in an instant. In team golf, even more so. Much will depend on the team matches. That's where the role of the captain becomes so important. From the U-S-A's perspective a cool dude like Davis Love in charge is a bonus. This week America WOULD win but the matches are not on this week.

[DTF]

Ivan, don't kid yourself, Robin Love is at the wheel of this bus to....