Zach Johnson has some choices to make.
On Tuesday the U.S. Ryder Cup captain will make his six selections and complete the 12-player team bound for Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
Locked in as automatic qualifiers are world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, Open champion Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele.
But who will join them? Does Justin Thomas get the nod based on past performances? Will Brooks Koepka or any other LIV players be selected? How about a 43-year-old debutant in Lucas Glover?
Let’s make the case for the potential captain’s picks for the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Brooks Koepka plays his shot from the sixth tee during day two at the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. (Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Koepka finished mere points away from qualifying for the team automatically and he doesn’t even play on the PGA Tour anymore. The PGA Championship winner has a knack for rising to the moment when healthy and he’s earned a spot on this team. His past experience and positive record (6-5-1) should lock him in.
Justin Thomas and Team USA players celebrate during the trophy presentation after winning the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin, on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. (Photo by Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Missing the FedEx Cup Playoffs was a career low for the former world No. 1, but is Zach Johnson really going to be the guy to leave Justin Thomas off this team? Given their friendship, JT’s potential and his stellar 6-2-1 record in two previous appearances can overcome some poor form this last season.
Not to mention Thomas will really rile up the European fans (and players) in Italy.
Jordan Spieth reacts on the second green during the morning foursome matches in the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club in 2016. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)
Spieth had seven top-10 finishes and a runner-up at the RBC Heritage this season. Oh yeah, he’s also a menace in match play, especially when paired with his good friend JT. Spieth was a perfect 5-0-0 at the Presidents Cup last fall and offers up an 8-7-3 record in the Ryder Cup. Vice-captain Fred Couples also said he’ll be there.
Cameron Young tees off on the first hole during the second round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday, August 11, 2023.
Similar to Spieth, Young also got the early affirmative from Couples. The 26-year-old will make his debut after a good-not-great 1-2-1 performance in his Presidents Cup debut last fall. That said, he’s a no-nonsense player with a bulldog mentality that should shine in match play. In 21 starts this season Young has a runner-up and five top-10 finishes, with nine inside the top 25.
Team USA player Collin Morikawa reacts on the sixth green during day two fourball rounds for the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)
Morikawa was impressive in his Ryder Cup debut (3-0-1) last go around and finished this season T-6 in the FedEx Cup standings thanks to 11 top 25s and a pair of runners-up finishes. He’s a young talent who could pair really well alongside fellow Cal product and automatic qualifier Max Homa.
If Thomas gets in off past experiences, lock in Morikawa.
Rickie Fowler looks on as Team USA players celebrate winning the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club on October 2, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Fowler’s bounce-back year saw him finish runner-up at the Zozo Championship before winning the Rocket Mortgage, earning eight top-10 finishes and a whopping 18 in the top 25, and a T-5 at the U.S. Open. Sure, his ho-hum 3-7-5 record in four past appearances isn’t great, but he’s in form, his game traveled with him all year and the 34-year-old will be great for a young team room.
USA’s Keegan Bradley celebrates after winning their foursomes match on the 15th hole at the Ryder Cup on Friday, Sept. 28, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois.
Bradley plays with a level of intensity that traveling American fans and his teammates will feed off of. Similar to Thomas, it will also really get under the skin of the Euros. The 37-year-old picked up a pair of wins this season as well as five top-10 finishes and wound up inside the top 10 of the FedEx Cup standings. He could pair well with quite a few members of the team, especially if fellow Srixon ambassador Brooks Koepka is selected.
Sam Burns of the United States walks off the fourth tee during the second round of the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club on August 18, 2023, in Olympia Fields, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Burns was a disappointing 0-3-2 in his Presidents Cup debut last fall but then turned around and won the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March. He’s got a great relationship with Scottie Scheffler and the world No. 1 will assumedly be pulling for his buddy (even though the pair went 0-2-1 together at the Presidents Cup). Burns finished in the top 25 in half of his starts this season and could take some pressure off Scheffler’s putting woes (11th in SG: Putting, 19th in Putting Average, 7th in One-Putt %) in alternate shot.
Lucas Glover poses for a photo with the championship trophy after winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship. (Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)
Glover played his way into contention with a run to the Tour Championship aided by consecutive late-season wins at the Wyndham Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first event of the playoffs. The 43-year-old would make his debut in the biennial bash and what a story that would be. If Johnson wants to pick players in form and with a hot hand whose games travel, he could do a lot worse than Glover.
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