Tuesday 27 September 2016 22:27, UK
Rich Beem reflects on Team USA's decision to delay the their final captain's pick until after the Tour Championship, and how that was justified when the in-form Ryan Moore was added to the side.
Can you imagine what the Ryder Cup task force would have looked like if Davis Love III hadn't picked Ryan Moore? That would have gone totally against the grain of everything they said they would do with that last pick.
If Davis already had a lot of guys on the team that had been playing really well in recent weeks, he could have backed off and maybe picked Bubba or one of the young guys. But the whole point of the pick was to get the hot hand, and there's no doubt in my mind that if Kevin Chappell had won the Tour Championship, he would have got the pick.
They had to go with what they had set out to do, otherwise there was no point in leaving that last pick until Sunday. And that decision was completely validated with the selection of Ryan Moore.
In years gone by, the Americans maybe haven't had the vice-captain structure that the Europeans have had.
I think it's a great thing that Jim Furyk was out there with Ryan early on Monday. It's Ryan's first appearance and you couldn't ask for a better mentor than Furyk. He's been on nine Ryder Cup teams and knows everything there is to know about the week.
He can teach Ryan what to expect, how to conserve energy and things like that. You need somebody like that to give you an idea of how enormous the occasion will be. You look at everything here, all the stands and the whole set-up, and it's all just for 24 guys! That's a little overwhelming.
As for the venue, this golf course is very unique, and they have been working so hard to get it into fantastic condition over the last few weeks. There's been a lot of work done on the bunkers in particular.
It has taken a little time for the course to mature, but it's now in the best condition that it's ever been and the PGA of America must be delighted. It must be everything they wanted it to be and more.
The staff have done amazing work and they have left nothing to chance. I'm just so proud to be a member here and to have won my major championship here.
They have made changes to the layout. The players go from one to four as normal, but the fifth to the ninth this week used to be the 14th to the 18th. Then it's 10-13 and holes five to nine for the back nine.
I really like the changes, and it makes sure the old 16th will be front and centre each day. You want to make sure that gets out on TV because it is such a great hole, especially for match play. To have it as the seventh this week, it could be a pivotal hole in a few matches.
I also like the way the last three holes are set up. There's a reachable par-five, the 17th is a tricky par-three surrounded by water and well-placed traps, that will really get your attention. And the last hole is one of the toughest greens on the course, where you must find the right plateau.
When Hazeltine do it, they do it right and it's an honour to be here for the Ryder Cup. It's going to be an awesome week.
