'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Ryder Cup team is final, as captain Zach Johnson made his picks yesterday. After the six automatic qualifiers were confirmed, Johnson had six selections to make. That inevitably meant that some golfers were going to be left out.
These golfers made it:
- Scottie Scheffler (qualifier)
- Wyndham Clark (qualifier)
- Brian Harman (qualifier)
- Patrick Cantlay (qualifier)
- Max Homa (qualifier)
- Xander Schauffele (qualifier)
- Jordan Spieth (selected)
- Collin Morikawa (selected)
- Rickie Fowler (selected)
- Justin Thomas (selected)
- Sam Burns (selected)
That left some deserving names off the list. Here are a few golfers who could have been named to the team instead of the six selections above.
5) Tony Finau
Tony Finau finished rather low on the points list, but he has the vital experience at these events that Zach Johnson so desires.
If Justin Thomas made it, then it's reasonable to say that Finau could have landed a selection. After all, he wasn't as bad over this full season as Thomas arguably was.
4) Denny McCarthy
Denny McCarthy didn't win this year, but he did do enough to make it to 14th in the points. He was ahead of Justin Thomas, who was selected.
The golfer may not have earned a victory, but he also had 14 top-25 finishes and played well enough over the past couple of years to ascend up the points list. He's really good at putting, which is often vital to a Ryder Cup team.
3) Keegan Bradley
Keegan Bradley is taking his snub worse than others. He admitted his disappointment to reporters and added that he's going to have to change his philosophy for the next Cup:
“I’ve always been an outsider in the sport but I have tried to get closer to the guys I thought would be on the team. I feel like moving forward, I’m going to have to automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup.”
He's vowing to make it next time without leaving it to the chance of a captain's pick, but he could have easily been named. He's a recent winner (Travelers Championship) and came in 11th on the points list.
2) Lucas Glover
It proved to be too little, too late, but Lucas Glover rounded into excellent form just in time for the selections. He ended up being 16th in total points, but winning at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and the week before at the Wyndham Championship is an excellent feat.
Until Viktor Hovland won last weekend, no one had repeated on the tour, so he was in great form. If recent form mattered, he'd likely have been named over Justin Thomas, who failed to even make the playoffs.
1) Cameron Young
It's rather shocking that Cameron Young wasn't named to the Ryder Cup team. Coming in ninth in points, he had several players (Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas) lower than him get named to the team. Of all the snubs, this one is definitely the most glaring since he was in the top 10.
