Bulk of U.S. Ryder Cup Team Fixed

Ten of the 12 golfers on the American Ryder Cup team are now set following the completion of the PGA Championship. The two remaining players, captain's selections, will be announced Monday morning by U.S. captain Tom Lehman.

The U.S. squad is top-heavy and heavy on rookies. The 10 players who played their way onto the team are: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Chad Campbell, David Toms, Chris Dimarco, Vaughn Taylor, J.J. Henry, Zach Johnson, Brett Wetterich.

The Top 3 of Woods, Mickelson and Furyk is spectacular. The middle of Campbell, Toms and DiMarco is stout. The bottom of Taylor, Henry and Wetterich, all three Ryder Cup rookies, is questionable. Zach Johnson is also a Ryder Cup rookie, but has (so far) a better Tour resume' than Taylor, Henry or Wetterich and seem much more solid than those three.

Among the players Lehman is believed to be considering for his two captain's choices are Davis Love III, Scott Verplank, Jerry Kelly, Stewart Cink, Steve Stricker, Tim Herron and one of his assistant captains, Corey Pavin.

My choices would be Verplank and Stricker, but I wouldn't argue with the selection of Pavin.

The European team won't be announced until Sept. 3.

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