U.S. Ryder Cup headache to be cleared in coming weeks
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
Colin Montgomerie is chattering on and on about headaches. Too many options, he says. Enough talent to come close to filling two 12-man Ryder Cup squads.
What, after all, can he do? Who should he pick? Who fits with the guys who are already installed as favorites come this fall in Wales? Yada, yada.
You want to talk headaches? Call Corey Pavin.
With all due respect to Monty's talent- and tension-fueled brain cramps, this is one strange time to draw the captain's job in the USA. Think migraines.
Pavin won't play his way onto his own team, although there was a point when we wondered. He needs to have a sitdown with the world's best player in a couple of weeks and see what's up. Does Tiger Woods, who has slipped to the eighth and final automatic spot on the list, want to be on the team? Really? If he doesn't get an automatic spot, will he step away and take care of the mountain of personal stress he's been carrying all season?
Captain Corey has a world of young talent, too, but only one has a win in 2010. And some of his go-to guys? Not much happening right now.
But not to worry. And don't go sending Pavin any cases of Advil, either. He knows what he's doing.
Besides, there are three big weeks on the way that could solve just about all of his nagging questions. And help him narrow down the list of players for his captain's picks.
Take this week at The Greenbrier Classic. New tournament. New course. Ryder Cup points up for grabs. Headlining the field? Jim Furyk, a Ryder lock who needs to get on track, and Matt Kuchar, the man who leapfrogged Tiger in the standings this week. Add in young guns like Jeff Overton, Ricky Barnes and Ben Crane (Nos. 10-12 on your Ryder Cup points list) and a few more.
Rickie Fowler is not that far out of the points race at 15th and his strong Walker Cup record could push him over the top. Plus, wouldn't it be fun to watch him and buddy Rory McIlroy, a lock for Monty's team, go at it?
The next two weeks send the race into hyper-drive. First, there's the who's-who field at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational where, um, Tiger has kind of owned the place. As in won seven of the last 11 events at Firestone CC.
He puts -- or is that putts -- it all together and there's one thing off Pavin's check list. He's been hitting it on a string and putting it like... us. So he's not that far off.
Think too about Stewart Cink, No. 13 on the current list. He won at Firestone in 2004 and is a Cup staple -- four Ryders, four Presidents. A couple of good weeks -- he tied for sixth at Firestone last year -- and...
The biggest question for Pavin just might be Anthony Kim. He's a must-have if he's healthy. Or even close.
He finished second at The Honda Classic, won the Shell Houston Open in a playoff, was third the following week at the Masters, then shared seventh at the Quail Hollow Championship -- all with a torn ligament in his thumb. He missed the year's two middle majors following May 5 surgery and is working through scar tissue issues. He will return to competition next week at Firestone, and if there are no health setbacks, he will likely play the following week at the PGA Championship.
Which brings us to Whistling Straits where double points are up for grabs at the season's final major. And, by then, anything can happen. Between now and then someone could get hot. Or an old face could pop up.
Whistling Straits has only hosted one major -- the 2004 PGA -- so there's not a lot of history there. Vijay Singh won in a playoff over Justin Leonard and Chris DiMarco, which brings us to one of those possible scenarios that alternately put smiles on captain's faces or leave them wondering what to do.
Leonard has had, shall we say, an inconsistent season. He missed the cut at the Masters -- his second son and fourth child was born the next week -- and at the British Open, shared 14th at the U.S. Open and is currently 55th on the points list. But if he got hot, if he won, he would likely jump into the top 15 and give Pavin something to think about.
Yes, we remember the putt at Brookline in 1999 that defined America's improbable comeback and Ryder Cup win, but, more importantly, Leonard, like Cink, has been on eight Cup teams -- five Presidents, three Ryder. He had a great match play record as an amateur, winning the 1992 U.S. Amateur and playing on the 1993 Walker Cup team.
We're not predicting that, just pointing out one of a number of scenarios that could unfold in the coming weeks. And, of course, Monty's boys could throw a wrench or two into things too. Lee Westwood is very close to a major. Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, McIlroy... need we go on?
Monty can yada about headaches and too many players all he wants.
Pavin, meanwhile, is embracing the possibilities of this three-week run. And when it's all sorted, he'll be ready with decisions. Not complaints.
Melanie Hauser is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM. Her views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.
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