Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Johnson, Furyk, Snedeker and Stricker in Ryder Cup
NEW YORK (Reuters) - United States captain Davis Love III opted for a blend of experience and form in choosing Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker as his wildcard picks for this month's Ryder Cup against Europe.
Love announced Cup veterans Furyk and Stricker, along with 2010 debutant Johnson and rookie Snedeker, as his four selections during a news conference at the NASDAQ headquarters in Times Square on Tuesday.
Dustin Johnson of the United States watches his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the World Golf Championships WGC-Accenture Match Play Championships golf tournament at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona February 24, 2012. REUTERS/Darryl WebbThe quartet will join automatic choices Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Phil Mickelson on the 12-man American team.
"It was tough to leave anybody off," Love said of his selections. "This is probably the deepest, strongest year of earning (U.S. Ryder Cup) points that I've seen and there were a lot of guys that have played a lot of really good golf.
"We could have gone very deep this year down the points list. There are four great players that we have picked that are playing very well and bring a lot to the team. I felt like in the end we rounded out our 12 the best way we knew how."
Furyk, a 42-year-old veteran of seven Ryder Cups, will bring considerable experience to the U.S. lineup and is known for being very adaptable in team play with a variety of partners.
Stricker, acknowledged as one of the best putters in the game, is a 12-times PGA Tour champion who has partnered Woods successfully on several U.S. teams at both the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.
The long-hitting Johnson, a six-times PGA Tour winner who made his Ryder Cup debut two years ago in Wales, cemented his selection by tying for fourth at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday.
Snedeker, who is also renowned for his putting, won his third PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open in January and will make his debut in the biennial competition.
The U.S. will take on Jose Maria Olazabal's European team, the holders, at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago from September 28-30.
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Clare Fallon)
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