Ryder Cup 2010: Ranking Team USA's Top 10 Captain's Picks

It’s a wet and gloomy day here in Ireland, so I thought I would take this opportunity to look ahead to three potentially even wetter and gloomier days in the South of Wales this October.

I’m sure I have not done the Welsh tourist board any favours in my stereotyping of their climate there.  I will, however, stress that my bleak outlook only extends to the weather, and certainly not to the 2010 Ryder Cup itself. 

It promises to be a fantastic occasion, and undoubtedly one the highlights of the sporting year.

With the passing of the dramatic 2010 PGA Championship, the curtain came down on Team USA's automatic qualification for this year's event.

Eight men now have their places confirmed on the plane to Wales, with the fate of the final four team members now in the hands of US Team Captain, Corey Pavin.

That being said, I will now examine the options for the former Major Champion, and rank the top 10 candidates for wildcard selection.

10. Ryan Moore

Ryan Moore may stand at 22nd on the US points list, but the guy can seriously play.  More importantly for this particular article, I really like him too.

I think it is hard not to like him.  He has a thoroughly refreshing attitude on and off the golf course, and has no problem doing things his own way.

He was a prestigious amateur, and although he has not quite carried that form into his professional career, his sole victory on the PGA Tour coming at the 2009 Wyndham Championship, he is still a player with outstanding talent.

Finally, and crucially, with him on the team, it leaves open the possibility of an American team donning a shirt and tie combination for one of the days play.

That must be worth something.

9. Justin Leonard

Justin Leonard may not have had the best of seasons by his standards, but what Justin Leonard does have is experience.

And winning experience at that.

Leonard has been part of the last two American Ryder Cup successes, and made important contributions to both of them.

Who will ever forget the scenes in 1999 on the 17th green at Brookline? Timeless.

Leonard is an old, experienced head, who has proven he can handle the intensity and pressure of the Ryder Cup matches.  

He has always struck me as a very determined, gritty competitor, and despite a poor season, would still make for a very competent team member.

8. Bo Van Pelt

Bo Van Pelt has had a remarkably consistent year, and definitely the best of his career to date.

He is currently 13th in the FedEx Cup standings, tied ninth in overall scoring average, with six top-10 finishes.  

Although he has not won this season, those statistics would suggest that it won't be too long until he does.

This type of consistency and good form breeds confidence, and confidence in a Ryder Cup, and any golf tournament for that matter, is essential.

Van Pelt finished up 13th in the Ryder Cup, so on paper, he should just miss out on a captain's pick.  I would suggest that he will, but if Pavin does give him the nod, I think he is very capable of stepping up to the plate.

7. Lucas Glover

This time last year, Lucas Glover would probably have been a certainty on most people's US team.

Glover's most successful season was by far 2009.  Not only did he win his maiden major championship with an impressive victory at the US Open, his season also included a further six top-10 finishes, amongst them a fifth-place finish at the PGA Championship.

Overall, Glover finished 17th in the FedEx points standings.

However, 2010 has seen a reversal in Glover's fortunes, and a significant dip in his form.  His best finish was a third in the Player's Championship, one of only two top-ten finishes.

To rub salt into the wound, Glover was only pushed out of the automatic qualification standings this past week at Whistling Straits.

So although 10th in the overall rankings, based on his current form, I don't think Glover is worthy of a coveted captain's pick.

6. Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler has been a breath of fresh air on the PGA Tour this year.

In his first full season on tour, having gained a card through the qualifying school, Fowler, still only 21, has made a considerable impression.  With two second-places, and a host of other good finishes, Fowler has looked very much at home in the big league.

He may only have qualified in 20th position in the Ryder Cup points list, but his form this year alone has been much better than that might suggest.  

He also has a very impressive Walker Cup record from his amateur days. Most recently, in 2009, he won all four matches in the comprehensive US victory.

It is obvious that Fowler loves team golf, and as his performances this year proves, would have no problem making the transition from Walker, to Ryder Cup.

He is fearless, enthusiastic, and could potentially make an impact similar to that of Anthony Kim's two years ago.

5. Sean O'Hair

Like Glover, Sean O'Hair is another golfer who has lost his form from last season.

The Texas native had a hugely lucrative and successful 2009 season that included a win at Quail Hollow and eight other top-10 finishes.  All this added up to over $4 million in prize money and a fifth-place finish in the FedEx points table.

O'Hair has not had nearly as much success in 2010, however, and has fallen off the golfing radar in some respects.  He only has two top-10s since January, and although he has shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, lies 36th on the Money List.

As per the bookmakers, in Ireland at least, O'Hair is favorite to pick up Captain Pavin's fourth wildcard pick.  

I, however, see it differently, and on his form in this current campaign, think he will just miss out on selection.

4. Stewart Cink

With four of the eight players who gained automatic qualification being rookies, experience will be key for the US team.  

There are few players on the roster that will provide as much of that factor than Stewart Cink.

Since making his debut at The Belfry in 2002, Cink has been an ever-present member of the American team.  He has always performed with great pride and passion for his country, and seems to genuinely revel in the Ryder Cup atmosphere.

Indeed, in the last Ryder Cup to be played on European soil, Cink was probably the standout player for USA.  Despite being a wildcard pick, he played in every round of matches, only being defeated once, and earning two and a half points.

He has since gone on to individual glory, winning the 2009 British Open, and I feel he has the attributes and ability to make an important contribution for Team USA once again.

3. Anthony Kim

Before a thumb injury sidelined him in late April, it looked as though Anthony Kim was finally delivering on all the promise he had showed in the 2008 season.

He won the Shell Houston Open, shot 65 in the final round of the Masters to finish third, and in total, had amassed six top-25s in his 10 Tour events. It looked as though his season was really going to take off.

In fact, so good was his start to the season that Kim was only displaced from the automatic qualification spots at the very last ranking tournament.

However, despite his difficult summer, and lack of competitive golf, I still think Kim is worthy of a captain's pick.  He played a starring role in the American victory in Valhalla two years ago, culminating in a final day drubbing of Sergio Garcia 5-4.

He also formed a formidable pairing with Phil Mickelson, and I'm sure "Lefty" would love to have his young partner back at his side.

He can be an inspirational character.

2. Zach Johnson

Zach Johnson is just one of those guys that you don't want to play against.

He is as determined and fiery a competitor that there is in the game of golf today, and really does get the most of out of his talents.

He has had another solid season on the PGA Tour, picking up a victory at Colonial, and most recently, just missed out on a playoff at the PGA Championship.  

Unlike others on this list then, Johnson is a man in form.

His rookie Ryder Cup outing was in 2006, where amidst a thorough American beating, Johnson managed to acquit himself quite well.  He won one and half points, and proved that he had the appetite for Ryder Cup battle.

All that put together makes Johnson a certain pick in my mind.

1. Tiger Woods

Anyone who attempts to convince me that Tiger Woods should not be picked on the US Ryder Cup team is fighting a losing battle.

It is beyond reason how you could put forward a cogent argument in favour of leaving the best golfer the world has ever seen at home.  I really do think it is having an argument for an arguments sake, but with no real substance.

Yes, America won in 2008 without the Great One, and yes he is not playing his best golf at the moment, but quite simply, Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods.

That's really all there is to it.

He is still the world's No. 1 golfer, and despite all his poor play, still could easily have won two major championships this season.  Tiger also provides bags of experience, and responds to pressure like no other golfer in the world.

I wonder when the last time Tiger Woods has been left out of a golf team of any sort?

Corey Pavin will pick him.  Of that, there can be no doubt.