The contenders to complete Davis Love III's USA Ryder Cup side
Tuesday 20 September 2016 18:32, UK
Who will Davis Love III select to complete his 12-man team for the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine? Ben Coley looks at the contenders...
Bubba Watson
As world No 7, there are only two US players with higher world rankings than Watson - Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth. As such, it's something of a surprise that he's still unsure of a place in the Ryder Cup side, but a disappointing summer meant he fell short of automatic qualification.
Bubba's blend of power and creativity should make for a fearsome opponent, but eight defeats from 11 Ryder Cup matches show that something is not quite right even if he has shown glimpses of brilliance in team golf, most notably in the calmer waters of the Presidents Cup.
Some point out that he's not the most popular player on Tour as the key reason to leave him out, but one of Bubba's closest friends is Rickie Fowler and he also teamed up with JB Holmes at last year's Presidents Cup, so there are options within the existing 11 in terms of finding him a partner.
However, it's alone that Bubba has been exposed, losing to Miguel-Angel Jimenez, Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer on Sundays at the Ryder Cup. If his place in the side does depend on his performance this week, that's further cause for concern as he's gone on record in stating that East Lake is far from his favourite PGA Tour stop.
Justin Thomas
Many of those who believe the US team needs a fundamental rethink when it comes to the Ryder Cup have championed the inclusion of Justin Thomas, a brilliant but erratic young talent who won in Malaysia late last year.
Thomas has since added a further three top-three finishes, including at the Players Championship, but six missed cuts since his sole PGA Tour triumph underline his inconsistency.
In Thomas's favour is the fact that Love has hinted that he will take the views of his current side into account, and among that 11 are some serious allies like Jordan Spieth, Fowler and Brooks Koepka. Love's side also has just one rookie as things stand so there's room for another, and Thomas's aggressive style may well make for a formidable Ryder Cup player.
Thomas does have team experience courtesy of the 2013 Walker Cup, in which he went unbeaten through four matches and, along with Bubba and Daniel Berger, has been invited to practice with the team at Hazeltine in something of a wild card audition. Next, he heads to East Lake for his Tour Championship debut and at 12th in the FedExCup standings, he could yet land a $10m jackpot to cap a fine breakthrough season.
Daniel Berger
While Thomas arrived on Tour with much fanfare owing to a superb amateur record, it's possible to argue that Berger has achieved more in a similar time span. The 23-year-old lost a play-off for the Honda Classic close to his Florida home last season, his first at the top level, but made no mistake with a dominant performance at the FedEx St Jude Classic earlier this summer.
He then took a commanding lead into the final round of the Travelers Championship only to struggle alongside Russell Knox, who went on to win the event. Had Berger done so, he would surely have been guaranteed a place on the Ryder Cup side but he now has work to do.
To his credit, Berger kept his hopes alive with a top-10 finish last time out, which in turn gave him the opportunity to showcase his talents at East Lake where he finished a creditable 12th last season.
Better will surely be required this time, but that experience coupled with a more consistent profile than that of Thomas could yet make him a factor.
Ryan Moore
Not considered a realistic contender early in the year, Ryan Moore's victory in the John Deere Classic started murmurs which grew louder as he carded back-to-back top-10 finishes to start the FedExCup Playoffs.
Moore's busy scheduled appeared to take its toll as he finished down the field last time, but a week off should've enabled him to recharge the batteries ahead of a return to East Lake, where he has two top-10 finishes from as many visits and was right in there with a chance over the closing holes in 2012.
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Unlike Watson, Thomas and Berger, Moore does not appear to have been invited to practice with the team and that suggests Love's shortlist stops at three, but should the in-form former US Amateur champion win at East Lake, he would be hard to ignore.
At this stage, it appears that his run of form has come too late to make a serious impression.
Jim Furyk
Read back through Davis Love's press conferences over the last 12 months, and it's pretty clear he had hoped and indeed expected to select Jim Furyk, despite the veteran's poor Ryder Cup record.
Furyk's round of 58 at the Travelers was considered by many to be the final excuse needed for Love to pick his man, but a downturn in form thereafter - which meant he did not qualify for the Tour Championship - means he's likely to be left out.
The veteran is already part of the team as a vice-captain, and it appears certain now that he will remain in a non-playing capacity.
Verdict
Bubba Watson was as short as 1/200 with Sky Bet when it first became clear he would need a wildcard selection, but prior to betting being suspended had drifted to odds-against.
Some considered Love's remarks when naming his first wildcards to insinuate that Bubba was not his first choice of the remaining options, but as world No 7 he has his class to fall back on if none of the contenders play well at East Lake.
However, there is a very strong feeling that this final spot is genuinely up for grabs and perhaps Thomas can do enough.
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While Berger has the more recent victory to his name, Thomas has friends within the team and appears to have turned Love's head more than once, especially with his performance at the Players. If he can contend this week that may be enough.
