The 12 US Ryder Cup Players, Pros and Cons, Projected Teammates
The 12 players for the US Ryder Cup team have been finalized to take on a very strong European team lead by Captain Colin Montgomerie. In 2008, the US team prevailed over the Europeans coming out to a hot start to the first day without world number one Tiger Woods due to injuries. The U.S. Team won easy without Tiger then, but that did not affect Corey Pavin's decision on taking him this year to represent America.
The United States Team:
Captain: Corey Pavin
Phil Mickelson
Hunter Mahan
Bubba Watson
Jim Furyk
Steve Stricker
Dustin Johnson
Jeff Overton
Matt Kuchar
Captains picks:
Tiger Woods
Zach Johnson
Stewart Cink
Rickie Fowler
#12: Phil Mickelson, Age: 40, 8th Ryder Cup Appearance
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Besides the fact that "Lefty" is the number two player in the world, he has quite the reputation and resume to back his kamikaze style of play. Although Phil is known for his questionably stupid shots he tries to execute, he has won 4 majors and has over 30 wins on the tour. He continues to show that he is a player to watch out for and he will be the leader of this Ryder Cup team.
Pros: Phil is a Veteran. This is his 8th Ryder Cup, he has 4 majors under his belt, and plenty more wins on the tour where that came from. He is a fan favorite, the crowd loves him and the players love him. He's a nice guy who will always compete at a top level. He is a great Ryder Cup teammate because he has been there and done that, and he knows all aspects of the Ryder Cup atmosphere.
Cons: There are not many cons when it comes to having Phil on your team. Although, he does have a losing record in all events in his last 7 Ryder Cup appearances. He won all of his matches his rookie year in 1995, and has slowly gotten worse in his Ryder Cup career. He is a Veteran, but in his last three Ryder Cup's he has gone 2-9-3, which is not an impressive record to say the least.
If Phil can perform at the top of his game he will be unstoppable. I think it all comes down to whether the United States team feels confident for Phil to play well. Although he is the veteran leader of this team, if the other players can get momentum, Phil will feed off of them to play well.
Projected Teammate: Jeff Overton
#11: Hunter Mahan, Age: 28, 2nd Ryder Cup Appearance
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Hunter Mahan is a 2nd year player for the U.S. Team. He currently has three victories on tour, but two of them have came in 2010. Mahan is a player who can get red hot. A lot of the time he sits below the other players radar and then one day sneaks up with an extremely low round. This year has been very consistent for Hunter. Not a lot of major screw ups and he has a ton of upside. The future holds great things for Mahan as he is only 28 years old and starting to come into his game very nicely, and when he is on, man is he fun to watch.
Pros: Hunter lead the U.S. team to victory in 2008 with the most points accumulated by a single player with 3.5 points in his 5 matches. If he can do the same at Celtic Manor, the U.S. team will be a heavy favorite. He has three wins on tour, putting him in a group with Dustin Johnson, Anthony Kim, Sean O'Hair, and Camilo Villegas as the only players to accumulate three titles on tour in their 20's. Like I said before, when Mahan is hot, he is damn close to unstoppable.
Cons: He is young, and although he had a great showing in 2008, he is still Ryder Cup inexperienced. Also, he is not playing as well lately. He has not played bad, but if the U.S. team wants to take down this heavily favorite European team, they will need a great showing by Mahan. I do not know if I am convinced Mahan can perform on a links style course like Celtic Manor.
The bottom line is the U.S. team needs Mahan to be on his game. He is a crucial player in the victory of the European team, and the U.S. cannot afford him to lose his matches. My prediction is, if Mahan is hot, the U.S. team wins.
Projected Teammate: Tiger Woods
#10: Bubba Watson, Age: 31, Ryder Cup Debut
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Bubba Watson is an interesting player. He is one of the longest hitters out there, yet he uses the same putter he has had since he first took up the game of golf. When I think back to this year, he has probably surprised me most out of anyone on the tour. He rallied towards the end of the PGA Championship this year only to lose in a playoff to Martin Kaymer, who is an European participate this year. I don't know if it is his swing, or his goofy attitude that makes me think he is playing above himself right now, but with a win at the 2010 Travelers Championship, Watson is playing great this year. He has made a name for himself this year on the tour, and although he is playing well, he is a for sure unknown with the Ryder Cup.
Pros: First off, Bubba will be a great teammate. The players love him, he can relax his teammates, and even with all of his goofiness, he is still a great competitor. He got his first victory on the tour this year and has contended until Sunday afternoon for many more. I do not think fans expect him to lead the team, but that can play to his advantage. If he goes under the radar, Bubba can really make some things happen.
Cons: The biggest con to me is that he is 31 years old, and this is his Ryder Cup debut. I know it is hard to make the Ryder Cup team, but he has been Pro since 2000, meaning he has yet to play in the last 4 Ryder Cups. I do not know if that is a sign that says he is finally starting to play well, or a sign that says he has not been that great of a player and is playing above himself this year. He's inexperienced, but we all know his is fearless.
Bubba might be the biggest unknown this year in terms of performing, which could possibly help the U.S. team. If no one expects much out of him, then every win that he produces is a major help to the team.
Projected Teammate: Matt Kuchar
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#9: Jim Furyk, Age: 40, 7th Ryder Cup Appearance
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Jim Furyk is a great player. He has 15 victories on the tour, one U.S. Open victory. He is one of the most steady players you will find, yet he has the wackiest swing out of anyone. He does not hit it very far, he does not Birdie a lot of holes, but with the short game he has, he can make a Par from about anywhere. This year he has played his way onto the Ryder Cup team with two wins in 2010. He has six Ryder Cup appearances with a losing record of 8-13-3 out of his 24 matches. In the past two Ryder Cups, Jim has been right around .500 with his matches. In 2006, he played with Tiger which seemed to be a phenomenal team but went 2-2 out of the four matches they played.
Pros: Besides the obvious reason that he is a seasoned veteran on the Ryder Cup, Furyk is a great player to partner with. He has a steady game which saves a lot of holes in the Fourball and Foursomes game types. If his teammate is down with his game he will always pick them back up to get the team back into the match. If Pavin sticks Furyk with a young gun who can really go low, then he should go on to accumulating many victories.
Cons: Although Jim is steady, once his match starts to get away from him, there is not a lot he can do to come back. He is a Par type player, and you will not see him string together a bunch of Birdies to make a enormous comeback. All of his matches will be close, and with the Course being on European turf, and the Europeans looking to get revenge from two years ago, those close matches might fall out of the hands of the steady Furyk.
Projected Teammate: Stewart Cink
#8: Steve Stricker, Age: 43, 2nd Ryder Cup Appearance
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Steve Stricker is also one of the most steady players on the tour. Although, when he is hot, he can really go low. His career has really blossomed in the past 10 years. The only question that remains is if he has already reached his peak, and has started his downfall. My answer to that question is no. The way Stricker has set his game up has allowed himself to have a swing that will last all the way until the Champions Tour, and even beyond. He has a great short game, and a swing that does not have much feel to it, but makes up for it with not much room for error. He has 9 career wins on the tour and 7 of them have came in the past 9 years.
Pros: Steve is a guy you want on your team. Even though he has played in only one Ryder Cup, he is very solid. He knows how to play in pressure situations. He is also a great ball striker, and the better you strike ball in the wind, the less the wind affects it, which makes his game good for links style golf. If Stricker can stay solid and go above .500 in his matches, then he would have done his part for the U.S. team.
Cons: It is his only 2nd appearance with the Ryder Cup. But what else is there that is a con? Stricker is a solid player and I do not see much downside on having him on the team, unless he totally breaks down and completely puts the world in shock. Otherwise, Stricker will be a force on the U.S. team, and the player who is matched up with him is lucky.
Projected Teammate: Dustin Johnson
#7: Dustin Johnson, Age: 26, Ryder Cup Debut
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Another rookie on this Ryder Cup team is Dustin Johnson. Johnson is known for his long-hitting, powerful game that breaks down courses length wise. He has shown he can play in the wind. He was there at the US Open, he was there at Whistling Straights, and he had a good showing at the Open Championship. He has proved he can play on the big stage. He joins Hunter Mahan and a couple others as another player who has 3 or more victories on the Tour in their 20's. I have a feeling that a major is close in the future.
Pros: Besides the fact that he drives the ball on average 350, there is great upside to this guys game. When he struggles, its mostly due to his short game. When he gets the putter going, he can really go low. If the U.S. team can be lucky enough to get Dustin Johnson firing on all cylinders, it could be the difference in the Cup!
Cons: He is unpredictable. You never know what he is going to do. He could hit a 350 yd drive down the fairway and have an 8 iron into a Par 5 green and put it to three feet and then three-putt from there. He is not a guy that the U.S. team can rely on to lead the team.
If Johnson can stay steady and above .500 on his matches, he will do more than expected for the U.S. team.
Projected Teammate: Steve Stricker
#6: Jeff Overton, Age: 27, Ryder Cup Debut
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Jeff Overton who? He has been a pro since 2005, and he has yet to win on the Tour. If he did not make it on the team by playing himself onto it, then there would be no way he would be participating in this Ryder Cup. He played great at the right times. It is double Ryder Cup points for the Open Championship where he finished 12th. He played above average in 6 tournaments toward the end of the year making into the top 12 for all of them. Overton is a big question mark.
Pros: Although he has not been on fire or won any tournament, he has played steadily good. If Pavin matches Overton up with someone who can be streaky and go really low, then he is set. I would put Overton with Mickelson. The two games clash and if Overton stays steady and feeds off of the veteran Mickelson, then those two could be a force.
Cons: He inexperienced. He has not won a tournament, he has not played in the Ryder Cup, and he has only been pro for 5 years. The U.S. fans can't expect much from him.
Since he is not expected to steal a couple match wins, if he can do so, it would really give Team USA a boost.
Projected Teammate: Phil Mickelson
#5: Matt Kuchar, Age: 27, Ryder Cup Debut
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Matt Kuchar is red hot. He was a phenomenal Amateur player. He placed 14th at the U.S. Open and 21st at the Masters as a sophomore at Georgia Tech. He also holds a U.S. Amateur title to his name, along with 6 collegiate events and two first-team All America selections. Kuchar is a nice guy who is on top of his game at the moment and looking to run away with the FedEx Cup.
Pros: He is playing the best he has in his career. He has two wins on Tour, and in 2010 alone he has 9 Top-10's and has finished 30th or better in every single Major this year. This means he can really hold his own on the big stages. He did it as an Amateur, and he is doing it now 10 years later as a Professional. I would put Kuchar with a guy like Watson. With Watson being unpredictable and inexperienced, although Kuchar is also making his debut, he has shown that he can hold his ground at the big stages and he is the best rookie to do the job with Watson.
Cons: Not a lot of cons here. Unless Kuchar completely falls off his game or gets too caught up in the moment of his first Ryder Cup while enjoying the scenery, then he should be a real force.
I expect good things coming from Matt Kuchar.
Projected Teammate: Bubba Watson
#4: Zach Johnson, Age: 34, 2nd Ryder Cup Appearance
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Zach Johnson is a great addition to the U.S. team. This year has not been his best, although he did finish 3rd in the PGA championship at Whistling Straights. He is a rock solid player, and he has proved that he can play his game in the clutch. He has seven wins on the Tour, including a victory at the 2007 masters. Although this is only his 2nd Ryder Cup, the U.S. team can look to Zach to lead them mentally into the matches. He is a great teammate and when he is on, he can go really low.
Pros: He is solid. If you put Johnson with a guy like Fowler, who is young and unpredictable, yet contains the ability to go extremely low, then the pairing will deliver. He can act and play like a veteran in these situations and he knows the "Team" aspect of this Ryder Cup very well. He was an easy pick for a Captains choice mainly because you cannot afford to go into the Ryder Cup without him, whether he is playing well or not.
Cons: Has not been a very successful year. Zach has not completely fallen off the map, but he has not been there in the tournaments like he has been the past couple years. This year has been different and the U.S. team can only hope he blossoms back into his own in about 3 weeks for the matches.
Projected Teammate: Rickie Fowler
#3: Tiger Woods, Age: 34, 6th Ryder Cup Appearance
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What to say, what to say.. He is the world #1, and has been for quite some time now. It would have been completely stupid for Pavin to not take Tiger. I could tick through Tiger's resume all day longs. 14 majors, 71 wins on Tour, 6 straight amateur titles. Tiger has the resume that will never be written again. But people have to wonder, where is Tiger's game at right now? I will tell you. Rebuilding, and starting to get better. He is becoming more and more comfortable with the work he is putting in with Sean Foley, and once he can get that flat stick goin' and some confidence in the right swing, then we all have seen what Tiger is capable of.
Pros: Although he did not play his way onto the team, if the guys can accept him, he will lead. Tiger and Phil will have to set aside their differences if they are going to be effective. Tiger has 3 of his best companions in Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, and Hunter Mahan on the team which can make him more comfortable. We all know the 'Pros' to having Tiger on the team, but we will wait to see which Tiger shows up.
Cons: He is in the middle of a swing change at the moment. He has had some of his worst putting of his career this year. He just settled a divorce for a whole butt load of money that he is giving away. What else can go wrong for this guy? Things are not looking up for the performance from Tiger at the Ryder Cup. It is a complete unknown and unlike the other young players, all of the fans are expecting Tiger to do good things for the team.
Projected Teammate: Hunter Mahan
#2: Stewart Cink, Age: 37, 5th Ryder Cup Appearance
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Stewart is also another player you can not leave out of your Ryder Cup team. He has experience, he is a player that all the other guys love, and he is streaky. He has accumulated 6 PGA tour wins including the great shut-down win in a playoff against Tom Watson in the 2009 Open Championship, where Watson almost made history. He knows how to perform on the top level and he has a lot of experience in Ryder Cups.
Pros: Veteran with the Ryder Cup being his 5th appearance. Cink is streaky, and if Pavin matches him up with a player like Jim Furyk, then those two could possibly make a lot of noise at Celtic Manor. With the steady game of Furyk, and the streaky game of Cink, and the fact that both of them are Ryder Cup veterans, they could make each other feel at home and do great things for the U.S.
Cons: He has not been playing well this year. There has been no big blemish for CInk, he has just not been on the radar in 2010, which poses the question wondering what he will do in 3 weeks. Can he even go low playing like he is this time of year? I cannot recall him even being in contention lately, let alone ONE low round.
Projected Teammate: Jim Furyk
#1: Rickie Fowler, Age: 21, Ryder Cup Debut
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I love this pick. In my recent Golf article I predicted the Captains picks exactly. Johnson, Woods, and Cink are not hard to predict, but a lot of people around the nation are wondering what Pavin is thinking choosing Rickie. Look, it may have been a risky choice, but Pavin has nothing to lose. The kid has confidence through the roof with his game, he is excited to be there and pumped up more than anybody to show the world what he can do. Who else is Pavin gonna take? Hoffman? Rollins? Leonard? All of those other guys are question marks as well, so why not take a player with tons of confidence and the ability to play with the best.
Pros: Most players do not have the confidence that this kid contains in his super speedy swing. If you look back to any other players Ryder Cup debut, almost always you will find that the first Ryder Cup is the best, so why can't this kid rock the house just like all the other first timers did? The kid can play, and I would bet money that he will help this U.S. team out.
Cons: He's young, inexperienced, and sometimes getting a little TOO cocky might be his downfall. He will definitely take the risks, which may not help in the "Team" portions of the Cup. Again, Fowler is another question mark, which does not put a lot of pressure on him to succeed.
Projected Teammate: Zach Johnson
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