No real surprises from the American skipper, and we now know the 12 man rosters for both teams.
If Paul McGinley’s selections yesterday lunchtime were largely controversy free, his American counterpart Tom Watson went for an even more safety first approach with his three wildcard picks.
Shorn of Tiger Woods, Jason Duffner (injury) and Dustin Johnson (suspension), Watson had headaches that the Dubliner can’t even dream of so he went with a tried and trusted trio of Keegan Bradley, Hunter Mahan, and Webb Simpson.
Even allowing for the injuries and suspensions, none of the three players were next in line for a pick (Bradley was 13th on the Ryder Cup points list) but their experience was the reason they got the nod.
Bradley is the nearest thing the US has to Ian Poulter in terms of fire and he played so well with Phil Mickelson that he was always a likely captain’s pick.
Mahan has been in great form of late, with a top 10 in the USPGA and a win at the Barclays. With 3.5 points on his 2008 debut, and a fine with partnership with Zach Johnson, also on the 2014 team, in 2010, the Texan was a solid pick.
Simpson might be the most left-field but even that is a stretch. The 2012 US Open champion picked up 2 points last time out, however he did lose to Ian Poulter in that match-turning singles on the Sunday. Recent form has been fine if unspectacular but he’ll be hoping to avoid a certain English man over the three days.
The US team in full: Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Jimmy Walker, and Bubba Watson.Keegan Bradley, Hunter Mahan, and Webb Simpson.
