By Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM Fantasy Columnist A couple of online games concluded with last week's TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. Thanks to a giant assist by champion Brandt Snedeker, I placed 195th in the Summer Segment in the Yahoo! game with 2,374 points. Gunga Galunga (2,529 points) hung on to win the segment by 36 points over Scott Schaffran. For the season, I finished 3,861st with 5,658 points (97th percentile). Not too shabby considering my slow start. YODA MAN tallied 6,098 points for the top spot in the full-season race, 20 clear of Nevada Bighorns. YODA MAN averaged 164.81 points per tournament. In the finale at PGA TOUR Matchups on Facebook, I went 3-1-1 to post an overall record of 88-68-4 for 188 points. In what was a heartbreaking fade, last week's co-leader and long-time pacesetter, Austin Frank, settled for a 0-4-1 slate at East Lake to finish four points adrift of fellow co-leader, Michael Flanagan (2-2-1), and Dennis59 (4-0-1), both of whom racked up 212 points. Over the last three tournaments, Dennis59 went 13-1-1 to Flanagan's 11-3-1 and Frank 8-6-1. Of the trio, only Frank failed to chalk up one bonus during that stretch. I will continue to share my one-and-done and duffer picks in this space through the Fall Series. Here are my earnings for each through the FedExCup Playoffs: ONE-AND-DONE: $6,774,953.00 DUFFER: $612,595.50 Meanwhile, it didn't take long after my Power Rankings for the Ryder Cup published on Tuesday for readers to express consternation over Steve Stricker's spot at No. 22. Here's his capsule: It's surreal that he needed a Captain's Pick, but it speaks to U.S. depth. His calling card was a 4-0-0 record with Tiger Woods at the 2009 Presidents Cup. Stricker's only other relevant experience was a 1-1-0 with Matt Kuchar at the 2011 Presidents Cup. Now, the gripes: What about relevant experience beating Lee Westwood in singles at Wales? I agree Stricker isn't playing great, but to say his only other relevant experience is inaccurate. -- Tim So I am guessing that Steve taking down the world's No. 1 at the time, Lee Westwood, in the last Ryder Cup on enemy turf does not count as RELEVANT EXPERIENCE…REALLY. OK, we’ll see if Steve really is the last-ranked American when all is said and done. I think not but thanks for your comments. -- Bob Really dis'd Stricker. I am guessing your [sic] wrong on this. -- @meritw1 on Twitter No doubt about it. Stricker's 2-and-1 victory over Westwood to open singles at Celtic Manor helped set the tone for what would be a 6-4-2 record on the day for the Americans. The Americans' loss in the competition overall didn't influence my opinion, however. The Power Rankings was crafted to have some fun digging into the potential pairings, not singles. Foursomes and four-ball account for two of the first three days, four of the first five sessions, and 16 of the first 28 matches. It's also possible for a golfer to total four wins before singles. The only time I referenced singles was in Dustin Johnson's capsule, since his only victory in 2010 was in that format.

Steve Stricker is the latest honoree of the Payne Stewart Award , given annually to the golfer that that shares Stewart's respect for the traditions of the game and his commitment to uphold the game's heritage of charitable support, The recipients also share his professional and meticulous presentation of himself and the sport through his dress and conduct.

Want to leave Stricker a note of congratulations? Us the space below.

Steve Stricker will be taking part in a Google+ Hangout today at 1:45 p.m. ET, chatting live with PGA TOUR fans in a face-to-face video conference from the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.

You can watch the replay immediately after the Hangout on the PGA TOUR's YouTube page ( www.youtube.com/pgatour).

If you have a question for Stricker, be sure to leave it in the comments below and we will ask as many as we can during the Hangout.

The top 30 in FedExCup points are headed to East Lake for the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. Here’s a look at Steve Stricker, one of the 30 players who will contend for the FedExCup title.

SCENARIOS TO WIN FEDEXCUP: For Stricker to win the FedExCup, he MUST win the TOUR Championship and have the following scenarios fall into place:
> Rory McIlroy (No. 1) must finish eighth or worse
> Tiger Woods (No. 2) finishes T-4 or worse.
> Nick Watney No. 3) must finish fourth or worse
> Phil Mickelson (No. 4) and Brandt Snedeker (No. 5) must finish third or worse
> *Tie for the FedExCup
Click here for scenarios of every player

SEASON IN REVIEW: The PGA TOUR's Mr. September found the first month of the year to his liking when he won the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He also has a tie for second at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational among his seven top-10s this season. Interestingly, the veteran has yet to contend in the Playoffs, where he has been so solid in the past (hence, the nickname) but U.S. Captain Davis Love III valued his experience so much he picked Stricker for his Ryder Cup team. -- Helen Ross

PATH TO TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP: Here’s a look at Stricker’s results in the first three events of the 2012 FedExCup Playoffs:
Click here for Playoffs Tracker of every player.

Tournament
Tournament finish	T-54th	T-13th	T-26th
FEC ranking after event	16th	10th	13th

PREVIOUS FEDEXCUP FINISHES: Here is how Stricker has finished in previous Playoffs appearances:

	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007
FedExCup finish	18th	7th	3rd	14th	2nd

EAST LAKE HISTORY: This will be Stricker’s ninth trip to East Lake. Three times he’s finished in the top 6. Only one of those, however, has come since 2007. Stricker finished 15th last year and 25th the year before.

ALBERS’ QUICK TAKE: Fred Albers, on-course correspondent for SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio, provides a quick look at Stricker:
I think the public has a misconception about Steve; they think his "nice guy" image is his demeanor on the course. It's not.  Stricker is the most accommodating man on TOUR but also one of the more intense competitors. There is fire in the belly, and Stricker gets flat out mad during a round of golf. I don't think we've seen his best stuff the entire year, but we could at East Lake.

WATCH: Stricker wins the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions

PLAYER PAGE: Click here for more on Steve Stricker

Now it’s your turn. How do you think Stricker will fare at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola?

CARMEL, Ind. – Steve Stricker aced the par-3 sixth hole at Crooked Stick during Friday’s second round of the BMW Championship. Stricker used a 6-iron on the hole, which is playing at 198 yards.

“It was about the only highlight of the day,” Stricker said after he finished his round of 1-over 73, which puts him at 3 under for the tournament. “It was hard to see it go in … all we could see was the reaction from the crowd up by the green.”

It’s the third ace for Stricker on the PGA TOUR. He had a hole-in-one at last year’s Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance. His first ace on TOUR was at the 1997 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Unofficially, however, it’s his second ace in less than two weeks. During last week’s pro-am at the Deutsche Bank Championship, Stricker aced the third hole at TPC Boston with a 3-iron. He said it was his first hole-in-one during a pro-am.

Every ace made this week at the BMW Championship comes with a $100,000 donation from BMW to the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full tuition and housing college scholarships to deserving young caddies.

“It’s nice to win some money for the Evans Scholars,” Stricker said. “Got to meet a lot of the kids over the years through this event. … It’s a good cause for a deserving kid.'”

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

In Davis Love III’s mind, there were really just two openings among his four captain’s picks left to be decided. All along, he had Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, which meant everyone else was playing essentially for two spots.

In the end, Love went with Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker, along with Stricker and Furyk, to fill out his 12-man roster.

The decision was far from easy. “It’s tough to leave anybody off,” Love said Tuesday. “This is probably the deepest, strongest year of earning points that I have seen.”

And some strong performances when the pressure was at its highest is what set his picks apart.

“Some guys were feeling pressure to make the team,” Love said. “Since the British Open, a couple of guys stepped up and handled that pressure really well.”

Here’s a closer look at each of Love’s four captain’s picks, including one player who didn’t make it.

Dustin Johnson: All along Love has emphasized wanting guys who were playing well late in the year and Johnson has done just that with third- and fourth-place finishes the last two weeks. His length is also a huge asset at Medinah, which will play over 7,600 yards. "Medinah is a big ballpark and I love Dustin Johnson on that course," Love said. And remember, if Johnson didn’t miss three months due to injury, he would have likely finished in the top 8 in the standings and qualified on his own anyway. Johnson is a combined 2-6-1 in one Ryder Cup and one Presidents Cup, but Love is more concerned about having the right players (and pairings) on the right course and he has that in Johnson, who he called the “best athlete” on the team.

Brandt Snedeker: Like Johnson, Snedeker played his best when the pressure was on. Beginning with the British Open, where Snedeker finished third, he had three finishes in the top 6 the last seven starts, including two in the last two weeks when he knew Love was watching. Snedeker is also the best putter on the U.S. team, leading the PGA TOUR in strokes gained-putting. The Tennessean is one of four rookies on the team, but Love’s other two captain’s picks will surround him with plenty of experience.

Jim Furyk: Experience -- and not a career 8-15-4 mark in the Ryder Cup -- is what got Furyk, who will be playing in his ninth Ryder Cup, on the team. He’s a leader in the locker room and highly respected among his peers. You knew his chances were also pretty good when Love was consulting he and Steve Stricker on potential captain’s picks as part of his process. Love said both were “easy” picks, and it’s not as if Furyk has had a bad year. He lost in a playoff in Tampa and nearly won the U.S. Open and World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

Steve Stricker: This was the least surprising selection with Stricker’s place seemingly all but assured when Love noted during the PGA Championship the Wisconsin native’s success in being paired with Tiger Woods. Tuesday, Love confirmed it. Stricker has played well this year, too, winning the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions before adding a half-dozen more top 10s the rest of the year -- three of which have come since July. Only Snedeker is arguably a better putter than Stricker, who like Furyk  brings veteran leadership to a team that could use some.

Odd man out?: Last month, Love was surprised that Hunter Mahan would win twice in a year and not be among the top 8 in the Ryder Cup standings. But a so-so summer and a poor last month hurt Mahan, who finished ninth in the standings. It also turned out he was competing against Johnson and Snedeker, among others, and not Furyk and Stricker. Johnson and Snedeker simply played better with Mahan missing the cut at the PGA Championship and The Barclays and failing to finish better than 39th in his last five starts.

By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM

NORTON, Mass. – After Monday’s finish of the Deutsche Bank Championship, the waiting game began for American players hoping to get one of the four captain’s picks from U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III.

Love will announce his four picks at 10:15 a.m. ET on Tuesday ( the announcement will be carried live on RyderCup.com .) But Phil Mickelson seemed to indicate that the picks are fairly well set. He said he has spoken to Love recently.

“I’m not going to say anything,” Mickelson said what Love told him. “That’s up to him. But I think I have a decent idea.”

Indications are that Love would make his phone calls Monday night instead of waiting until Tuesday morning.

“Davis has got such a tough job on his hands,” said Deutsche Bank winner Rory McIlroy, who will be an interested spectator Tuesday as a member of the opposing European team. “He’s got six or seven guys to choose from for four spots. … I really wouldn’t want to be in Davis’ position tonight trying to decide who to pick.”

Here’s a look at seven of the primary candidates after Monday’s finish of the Deutsche Bank Championship:

BRANDT SNEDEKER: If Love wants a hot hand, here’s one of the hottest. Snedeker followed up his second at The Barclays with a sixth-place finish at the Deutsche Bank, shooting 65-67 on the weekend.

The pressure of hearing about a potential Ryder Cup pick forced Snedeker to turn his phone off, just so he wouldn’t have to keep talking about it.

“Just got tired of hearing about it,” he said. “I did a pretty good job of staying in the tournament and not thinking about it. I was obviously really very nervous today on the golf course. Today was a very big day. If I played bad today, it might sway him one way or the other.”

Snedeker said he would be disappointed if he doesn’t get a pick, but that he would only have himself to blame.

“I had two years to qualify, or (win) the PGA (Championship),” he said. “I played bad at the PGA. Anybody that’s got a problem with that needs to re-evaluate their goals the last two years. “

DUSTIN JOHNSON: The only other candidate besides Snedeker with top-10 finishes in both FedExCup Playoff events, Johnson backed up his tie for third at The Barclays with a tie for fourth at the Deutsche Bank, shooting 65-70 on the weekend.

“I’ve had a good past two weeks, so I think I’ve made my case pretty solid,” Johnson said. “… I really think that I can help the team, and it’s something that I really enjoy doing.”

JIM FURYK: The veteran went undefeated last year at the Presidents Cup and has partnered with Tiger Woods in the past. He tied for 13th at the Deutsche Bank, shooting a third-round 65 to move up the leaderboard.  He missed the cut last week at The Barclays but put himself in position to win two big events earlier this year – the U.S. Open and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

“Last week didn’t help my cause,” Furyk said. “… but I feel like I played solid this week.

“I know they want some hot players, they want some guys that are playing well, and I guess guys like Strick (Steve Stricker) and I are going to be hopeful they also want some battled veterans and guys that have been there before.”

STEVE STRICKER: As Furyk mentioned, Stricker also could provide a veteran presence and has been successful with Woods as a partner. And he also finished tied for 13th at TPC Boston with four consistent rounds.

A week ago, Stricker finished tied for 54th at The Barclays , but had three top-10 finishes in his previous four starts.

HUNTER MAHAN: Won twice earlier this year but has cooled off lately. His tie for 39th at the Deutsche Bank was his best result on American soil since a tie for 8th at the AT&T National.

“You want to make the team,”  Mahan said after shooting a final-round 71. “It’s plain and simple.”

RICKIE FOWLER: Shot a 5-over 76 in Monday’s final round to finish tied for 74th; just two players finished below him on the leaderboard. Fowler hasn’t had a top-10 finish since a tie for firth in May at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He was on the Ryder Cup team two years ago and played with Mickelson.

NICK WATNEY: Entered the conversation after winning The Barclays last week and backed it up with a tie for 20th at the Deutsche Bank.

Now it’s your turn. Which players do you think will become the four captain’s picks?

WATCH TUESDAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT LIVE ON RYDERCUP.COM AT 10:15 A.M. ET