US Ryder Cup 2012: Breaking Down the American Squad

Davis Love III has chosen the remainder of his team for the 2012 Ryder Cup, and this American squad will be difficult to beat.

With limited experience among the ranked players, Love added a few seasoned veterans to the list of players who will be at Medinah Country Club in Illinois for the tournament, which starts on September 28. 

The Europeans have won four out of the last five Ryder Cups, and José María Olazábal has chosen a talented team to take across the Atlantic. 

Here are the Americans who will be trying to win on home soil for the second time in as many tries. 

Tiger Woods

The American Ryder Cup team is made up of four captain's picks and eight automatic qualifiers who had earned the most points through the PGA Championship. No player had more points than Tiger Woods.

Six of the eight players who were automatic inclusions to the team had played in two Ryder Cups or fewer, with three players making their debut.

Woods, in contrast, will be playing in the tournament for the sixth time. Despite the rocky path his career has taken in the past three years, he is still the most talented player in the world and has seven top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year. 

It would be difficult to imagine this team playing without Woods. 

Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson and his signature pink driver will be at Medinah for the Ryder Cup after he earned the second-most points to qualify for the team.

Watson has six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year and won the first major of his career at the Masters.

He currently leads all players on tour in driving distance, and his tee shots will be an attraction for the fans in Illinois. 

Watson was part of the losing American team in Wales two years ago, and he will be looking to taste victory at the Ryder Cup for the first time in his career. 

Jason Dufner

Jason Dufner has had a fantastic 2012 season, winning two PGA Tour events and recording eight top-10 finishes.

He finished third in terms of Ryder Cup points, punching his ticket to the tournament for the first time in his career. Dufner will lead a pack of talented Americans making their debut at this competition. 

The 35-year-old is an excellent addition to the squad, and he is significantly older than the other Americans making their debut.

Davis Love III will hope that his overall experience leads to a steady performance at Medinah. 

Keegan Bradley

At just 26 years old, Keegan Bradley is the USA's youngest player.

He is making his Ryder Cup debut as well, after posting five top-10 finishes this season. 

Bradley is extremely talented and defeated Jason Dufner in a playoff to win the 2011 PGA Championship. This year, he has flashed the ability for spectacular shots and leads all players on tour with 14 eagles.

His Ryder Cup teammates will be hoping for a few more eagles in late September.

Webb Simpson

Webb Simpson is another young player making his debut for the Americans.

He is 27 years old and won his first major at the U.S. Open earlier this year. He has six top-10 finishes on tour this season.

The Olympic Club in San Francisco is an extremely difficult course, but Simpson fought through the adversity better than any other player.

If he can show similar composure at the Ryder Cup, then this will certainly not be his last time on the team. 

Zach Johnson

Zach Johnson has played for the Americans in two Ryder Cups, making him one of the more experienced players to automatically qualify for the team.

Unfortunately for Johnson, he played in 2006 and 2010, missing the Americans' victorious effort in 2008. He will be motivated to win the tournament for the first time in his career.

The 36-year-old has two victories and six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season. His fine play in 2012 suggests that he will be able to deliver an excellent performance at Medinah.

Impressive play from Johnson will show how deep the American team can be if its players perform to their potential. 

Matt Kuchar

Matt Kuchar may only have one win on the PGA Tour this season, but he has been remarkably consistent and has eight top-10 finishes. 

No player on tour has ended tournaments in the top 10 more than Kuchar in 2012.

The 34-year-old played in in the 2010 Ryder Cup, and he is another American who has only tasted defeat.

He will be looking to continue his fine year by erasing the memory of the 2010 loss with a victory at Medinah. 

Phil Mickelson

This will be Phil Mickelson's ninth Ryder Cup, making him the most experienced player on the team. 

Lefty finished eighth in points, and he was the final player to earn an automatic bid. He has six top-10 finishes and one victory on the PGA Tour this season.

He was impressive at the Masters this year, finishing in a tie for third. But he did not perform nearly as well in the later majors, finishing in a tie for 65th at the U.S. Open and missing the cut at the British Open.

Davis Love III will hope that Mickelson's experience allows him to find his form from earlier this season before he takes the course in Illinois. 

Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson's play this season earned him the confidence of Davis Love III. He was one of the players to make the team via the captain's choice. 

At 28 years old, he is the youngest player Love picked, but he did play for the Americans in 2010.

This season, Johnson has one victory and seven top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour.

Love was likely swayed towards picking Johnson due to his late surge. He was third at The Barclays and fourth at the Deutsche Bank Championship, and Love will hope that he plays just as well as Medinah.  

Jim Furyk

Jim Furyk will take part in his eighth Ryder Cup, making him the second-most experienced player behind Phil Mickelson.

Davis Love III went for a mixture of youth and veteran savvy with his picks, and Furyk is a battle-scarred old-timer on this team.

Furyk has not won an event on tour this season, but he has five top-10 finishes and impressively tied for fourth at the difficult course at the U.S. Open.

The knowledge gained during his past performances at the Ryder Cup will be useful for him and his younger teammates. 

Brandt Snedeker

Brandt Snedeker is the only Ryder Cup rookie chosen by Davis Love III.

His performances on tour this season proved that he was simply too talented for the captain to pass on. He has one victory on the PGA Tour and six top-10 finishes.

Snedeker played extremely well at the British Open, finishing third at the tournament. He also looked sharp at his last two tournaments, taking second at The Barclays and sixth at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

His strong putting is capable of producing excellent rounds, and the Americans will hope that he does not experience any jitters when playing at Medinah. 

Steve Stricker

At 45 years old, Steve Stricker is the oldest player on the American team.

Despite his age, he is having a fantastic season, with one victory and seven top-10 finishes on the season.

He was chosen for the team to give a young squad more experience. He has played in the last two Ryder Cups, winning in 2008 and losing in 2010. 

Stricker will hopefully be able to turn in impressive rounds while relaying the lessons learned from both victory and defeat to his less-experienced teammates.