Ryder Cup Team Announced

This year the Ryder Cup will take place in Louisville, Kentucky at Valhalla Golf Club. The match between the best American players and the best European players will take place September 16th-21st. The teams were finalized yesterday when American Capitan Paul Azinger announced his coach’s picks. Those picks were Steve Stricker, J.B. Holmes, Hunter Mahan, and Chad Campbell. These four guys join the other eight players that automatically qualified through the points awarded throughout the PGA season. Here is the complete American Team:

Phil Mickelson
Stewart Cink
Kenny Perry
Jim Furyk
Anthony Kim
Justin Leonard
Ben Curtis
Boo Weekley
Steve Stricker
Hunter Mahan
J.B. Holmes

Chad Campbell

I like the look of this team on paper. Of course it would be much better with Tiger on that list, but what can you do? Also, he actually has a losing record in Ryder Cup matches, but I would still rather have him on the team than not! For the guys who earned their way on the team, I don’t have a problem with any of them. There is a good mix of experienced veterans and first timers. Actually it is a perfect half and half. The guys who have played in a Ryder Cup before are Mickelson, Cink, Perry, Furyk, Leonard, and Campbell. The rest of the guys are rookies. I am sure that is why Capitan Azinger pick Chad Campbell, for his experience and ability to bomb the ball. Azinger passed on some solid players that have had a good year to pick some guys higher in the points standings. Chad Campbell was 20th on the list and J.B Holmes (who is from Kentucky) was 17th on the list. I can see why Azinger picked those two, but I would have liked to see a couple of other guys get a chance to play for their country. I think Rocco Mediate, Brandt Snedeker and Zach Johnson all should have gotten a chance to play and they were all higher on the points list than Holmes and Campbell. Azinger said he wanted to pick the guys who were hot now, and those two guy have finished strong this year so maybe the Capitan’s picks will be the guys who win the matches that brings the cup back to America. Man I hope so, I am sick of the Europeans winning. They have won it the last 3 times and 5 out of the last 6. It is time we get to keep the cup on American soil for a while!

The Europeans have another strong team lead by their Captain Nick Faldo and it will be tough to get the cup back. Here is their team roster:

Paul Casey
Sergio Garcia
Soren Hansen
Padraig Harrington
Miquel Angel Jimenez
Robert Karlsson
Graeme McDowell
Ian Poulter
Justin Rose
Henrik Stenson
Lee Westwood
Oliver Wilson

Some of those guys might not soud familiar and that is because they don't play on the US PGA tour much, but don't think they aren't good. They are really good! It is going to be a great weekend of golf and I can’t wait for the matches to begin. But until then, the Fed Ex Playoffs continue in St. Louis at the 2008 BMW Championship.

Go Team USA!