Fantastic. That doesn't mean a win 16 years ago is relevant.

Buck Compton said:

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This might be my list.

Scheffler
Schauffele
Spaun
Henley
Bryson
JT
English
Bradley
Cantlay

Then pick three of Griffin, Gotterup, Morikawa, Berger, Novak, Harman, Glover, Young, Burns based on who closes the year out best and can help fill in holes on the team.

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I like it. Couple of thoughts. I don't think Morikawa is in the mix because he's too erratic at this point. Not consistent enough. When he's on, he's for sure in but he just seems to be struggling.

I'm torn between Glover and Burns. I like both and would lean Burns if he heats up.

Gotterup is in if he keeps up his form. He's on a heater now and if that carries through, then he has to be on the team.

I'm not a huge Harman fan but he seems unflappable, which is a characteristic I want in my Ryder Cup team. For that reason, I'd include him.

This is a really good point. Bethpage is really hard. That should eliminate Clark.

I want guys who are clutch players and not susceptible to emotional swings. JT will play his way on but he's a guy at this point in his career who will falter in the event. Besides Scottie, Xander, and Bryson, I don't have a lot of confidence in the others in this event. Is a guy who has not played in the event but playing great the hope. Maybe. Or maybe not so we will see.

McNealy should get big time consideration. I think I'd take him over most of those guys.

He was like T30 or worse in the majors this year except this week a T23 and missed cut at The Players

Yea unfortunately all of our players have major warts. I'd rather pick him than a retread who is playing poorly recently. But not saying he should be picked if he struggles from here out.

ETA: as of now, I'd probably go griffin, burns mcnealy. But that will change based on how the ready of the season goes.

Gotterrup deserves a spot.

Yeah, he's going on close to 4 months now of top 25-28 or better in every tournament except for 1 missed cut in Canada. He's exactly the type I'd be taking if this level of play continues

I don't understand the love for Gotterup, before last week, he had ZERO top10 finishes for the year. Let's not get carried away because he had two great weeks playing links golf.

No, he deserves consideration.

_lefraud_ said:

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I don't understand the love for Gotterup, before last week, he had ZERO top10 finishes for the year. Let's not get carried away because he had two great weeks playing links golf.

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He's been consistently good for months. Finishing in the top 20% of these fields in essentially every tournament for 4 months is no joke. I'm not saying put him in yet, but if he has a good playoff, I roll with him. They have a lot of roller-coaster players; need some guys you can expect to bring a good game and so far he looks like one.

Gotterup is a good course fit.

The dude is on the come-up. He seems to have stones. I'd much rather him than a has been or journeyman who is maybe finding a groove.

If Gotterup has a good FedEx Cup playoff showing he is in. Keegan needs to plant that seed in him that he is in the pool of considered players and see how he responds.

DannyDuberstein said:

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Yeah, he's going on close to 4 months now of top 25-28 or better in every tournament except for 1 missed cut in Canada. He's exactly the type I'd be taking if this level of play continues

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Yep...that kind of consistency is what is needed.

_lefraud_ said:

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I don't understand the love for Gotterup, before last week, he had ZERO top10 finishes for the year. Let's not get carried away because he had two great weeks playing links golf.

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Exactly. We sent playing links gold in the Ryder cup. It's the exact opposite.

Santi Wheeler for sure.

Gotterup was ranked 200+ in the OWGR two months ago.

If he can string together a few top10s over the next 6 weeks, then I'll definitely jump on the wagon. But he's yet to have a single top10 in the States all season.

Here's my 9
Scheffler
Bryson
Xander
JT
English
Morikawa
Cantlay
Henley
Spaun

If I were picking right now I got McNealy, think he is just solid and you can pair him with anyone. Griffin, he's earned it, but I'm worried about his recent play.

I think Keegan has played good enough, but I worry about the playing captain, and the pressure that gets put on his play if he decides to play.

I think Harman might end up being a pick with Henley and English already on the team (side note, will never forget us dodging that matchup in the 2009 NCAA's after a tie break moved them out of our side of the bracket), I just don't think he's a course fit even though I like the guy a lot.

I'm really hoping a veteran that is in that 12-22 range in the standings has a good playoff run to make it easier for Keegan to leave himself off, or as a replacement for Griffin if play keeps slipping. Playoff win for a Finau or Berger type would be nice.

I don't get the inclusion of Morikawa - his form has fallen WAY off since the beginning of the year. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy but his game isn't there right now.

Who of the other guys do you trust to replace him with?

I don't put a ton of stock into course fit these days. Bethpage can play long and bruising. Brooks/DJ finishing 1-2 at the most recent event there (2019 PGA) wasn't a shocker. Spieth/Cantlay finished T3 and I wouldn't put them in that same bucket. But none of that really matters.

What matters is that we can setup the course however we want to favor our guys. Back in 2023, the Euros not only sandbagged the course to virtually eliminate wedge/short irons (we had a big edge in 100-150 strokes gained), they openly bragged about how good of a strategy it was. And it was.

Hole 5) Plays as a 3-wood/wedge hole from the tips. They made it a drivable par 4.
Hole 11) Some of the shorter players wouldn't have been able able to reach the green from the tips and laid up. They moved up the box and made it drivable for everyone.
Hole 16) Similar to hole 5, should have been a 3-wood/wedge hole. Made it a drivable par 4.
Hole 18) Could have only been reached by the longest guys from the tips. Many would have had to layup. They moved up the boxes so everyone could reach it in two.

Anyway, we should not be bashful at all about making similar adjustments to Bethpage. The Euros are going to have a similar squad as they had in 2023. If the same matchup dynamics persist (ie we have a big edge from 100-150 yards), then we should setup the course that way. IMO, that means move the tees up on 10, 12 and 16 to make them play 425 or so and play 13 from the all the way back tee where no one can reach it in two. Not even Rory.

I think Keegan should keep that in the back of his mind as he's making his captain's picks. Know what the Euros weaknesses are going to be, pick guys who have strengths where they are weak, setup the course to play to our strength. It shouldn't be too hard.

****

For home Ryder Cups, I care quite a bit less about the "caliber of competitor" of the players we pick. In Europe-hosted cups, I want the guys who live for the fight. At home, just about anyone can ride the momentum of the home crowd. So I'm fine with mild-manners methodical players like Spaun, Griffin, English making the team. Here's how I see it shaping up right now:

Full Lock
1) Scottie
2) Xander
3) Bryson

Almost certainly in one way or another:
4) Spaun - He's got too big of a cushion to fall outside the top 6
5) Henley - Arguably the best/most consistent not-Scottie American player this year. Likely top 6, will get a pick if not.
6) English - Similar to Henley. Great year. A couple 2nds at majors. Will get a pick even if not in the top 6.

Probably in but want to see a little more from them down the stretch
7) JT
8) Morikawa
9) Griffin - Needs to show that his hot summer was no fluke

From there...
10) Keegan - I currently default to Keegan playing unless three guys not mentioned above earn their way during the playoffs
11) Cantlay
12) Burns

First out
13) Spieth - His data is better than I thought relative to his poor performances in big events. If he does make the team, I think it should be in the "veteran who guides a rookie around" role. Not a "you get to go have fun with your friend JT" role.
14) McNealy - Curious to see how he plays the next few weeks with a spot in his grasp
15) Gotterup - Curious to see if he can maintain the level he's shown the last few weeks

Clark, Boog, and Harman seem like they're in the "if they get hot at the right time" throwing distance.

I get what you're saying about not worrying as much about course fit because of set up control, but I do think when you're talking about set up you don't want a captain's pick that is an outlier in a certain skill and that's why I brought it up with Harman. Identifying a partner for him I think is tough. It's a similar thing with Morikawa, but his iron game is on a different level and can make up for being an outlier in distance. It's why I like McNealy, he's really well rounded and fits in well for how you'd want to set up the course for the rest of the team.

I don't think Spieth should be in the conversation right now.

Another thing I worry about with some of these 'hot hand' guys is the gap between the end of the season and the actual Ryder Cup. There will be a month break. For some guys that we've seen perform at high levels for a long time (like Morikawa), I think the break helps. Lets him go home and get some things figured out without the stress of the 4 majors in 4 months stretch they are coming off of. But for guys like Ben Griffin who is having an outlier season, what does he look like after a month off? A lot of the time it's Euros having to take guys like that because they usually aren't as deep, and we've seen it go both ways. Andy Sullivan, Chris Wood, Bernd Wiesberger had good seasons then almost showed up unplayable, then guys like Thomas Pieters show up and look unbeatable.

I hope once the team is decided they all go to Bethpage for 3-4 days and play the course, try different pairings, etc. There is no reason to not be prepared. they have a month off from the end of the season to the event so take advantage of it.

I hear what you're saying about Bethpage and wasn't necessarily disagreeing with you. Just looking at it from a different angle.

Quote:

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I don't think Spieth should be in the conversation right now.

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He's #9 American on PGA Tour in strokes gained this year and brings alot of respect/leadership to the table. He's been very underwhelming in big events this year, so my perception is similar to yours. To the extent he does make the team, I think it's to do what Justin Rose did with Bob McIntyre back in 2023.

Quote:

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Another thing I worry about with some of these 'hot hand' guys is the gap between the end of the season and the actual Ryder Cup. There will be a month break. For some guys that we've seen perform at high levels for a long time (like Morikawa), I think the break helps. Lets him go home and get some things figured out without the stress of the 4 majors in 4 months stretch they are coming off of. But for guys like Ben Griffin who is having an outlier season, what does he look like after a month off? A lot of the time it's Euros having to take guys like that because they usually aren't as deep, and we've seen it go both ways. Andy Sullivan, Chris Wood, Bernd Wiesberger had good seasons then almost showed up unplayable, then guys like Thomas Pieters show up and look unbeatable.

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This is something we HAVE to figure out. Not just for this year, but every cup going forward (unless the PGA tour alters its schedule to play deeper into Sept). I hope Keegan makes our guys play in Napa if they want to be on the team.

As far as pairings go, I want to fully lean into putting Scottie, Xander and Bryson into the best position possible to win. Much like the Euros did with Rory, Rahm and Viktor in 2023. Setup the course to their strengths and give them the best possible partners in each format. If those guys combine to go 5-8, we're not going to win regardless. All other pairings trickle out from there.

98Ag99Grad said:

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I hope once the team is decided they all go to Bethpage for 3-4 days and play the course, try different pairings, etc. There is no reason to not be prepared. they have a month off from the end of the season to the event so take advantage of it.

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I don't know. I thought it worked really well in 2023 when all of the US guys took a month off while the Euro guys played in DP Tour events.

Haha true. Probably way overthinking this. The home squad has dominated this event in recent years so may not matter much anyway.

Deluxe said:

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I hear what you're saying about Bethpage and wasn't necessarily disagreeing with you. Just looking at it from a different angle.

Quote:

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I don't think Spieth should be in the conversation right now.

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He's #9 American on PGA Tour in strokes gained this year and brings alot of respect/leadership to the table. He's been very underwhelming in big events this year, so my perception is similar to yours. To the extent he does make the team, I think it's to do what Justin Rose did with Bob McIntyre back in 2023.

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The idea of picking for "respect" and "leadership" is what got us the decade long boys club of Sticker/Furyk/ZJ etc. Pick the 12 best players

The Milkman said:

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The idea of picking for "respect" and "leadership" is what got us the decade long boys club of Sticker/Furyk/ZJ etc. Pick the 12 best players

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If he wasn't one of the 12 best Americans in strokes gained this year, you would have a great point

Should Alex Smalley be on the team too? Bud Cauley?

The Milkman said:

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Should Alex Smalley be on the team too? Bud Cauley?

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Of course not. I think most would agree that Spieth has a stronger case to be on the team than Smalley and Cauley.

Datagolf
1. Scottie
2. Bryson
3. Henley
4. Xander
5. JT
6. Keegan
7. English
8. Griffin
9. Cantlay
10. Burns
11. Spaun
12. Morikawa
13. McNealy
14. Gotterup
15. Spieth

PGA Tour Strokes Gained
1. Scottie
2. <Inserting Bryson since he's not eligible>
3. Henley
4. JT
5. Morikawa
6. Keegan
7. Smalley
8. Spaun
9. Cantlay
10. Griffin
11. Spieth
12. Burns
13. Cauley
14. Berger
15. McNealy

My overall thoughts on Spieth. I think alot of things can be true at the same time.

• I would not have him on the team as of today (see previous post)
• I think he should be one of a handful of guys under consideration for the last ~3 spots. He's quietly played well enough this year to keep himself in the running. I stress the word "quietly" ha.
• As of right now, he's 48th in Fedex Cup standings. He has two events left to earn enough points to make East Lake. I think it would be very difficult to justify putting him on the team if he doesn't. Especially if a few guys from the Harman, Finau, Berger, etc tier finish strong. Granted, JT made it in 2023 without qualifying for East Lake.
• His "locker room" respect and leadership is an asset to the team, but he should NOT be picked solely for that reason.
• Generally speaking, there's room for a low impact veteran to make the team as a role player. Namely to shepherd around a rookie for a few matches. When I look at the potential guys to fill out the 10-12 spots, he's the only one who could potentially fit that criteria. If he makes the team, that should be his role.
• With that said, if Spieth closes the year meh, and Burns/Berger/Cantlay (for example) play really well in the playoffs, Spieth should NOT make the team over them simply to fill some sort of "veteran" quota.

Wish our team was as much of a firm sure thing as the Euros.

I think:
Scottie
Bryson
Xander
JJ Spaun
Harris English
JT
Keegan
Russ Henley
Morikawa

I imagine the last 3 will be Burns because he and Scottie are friends, Spieth and Cantlay (because they are the safe tenured picks).

I'd rather see those last 2 of those 3 be Gotterup and Mav McNealy though. Gotterups' pop off the bat and have Mav paired with a big hitter would be a nice pairing.

The Euros have it so easy. I think they are only really picking for 1 spot.
Rory, Rahm, Bobby Mac, Tommy, Tyrell, Shane, Septic Tank, Rosey, Ludvig, Hovland, and Fitzy. Then just a pick between Detry and Hojgaard I suppose.

I was being completely sarcastic. I 100% agree with the point, especially when it's an away Ryder Cup. You're right it may not matter, as the home teams have been dominating these for a long time. I was very critical last go around of the team coming in having not played at all and I'm pretty sure only some of the guys made the trip to play a practice round in Italy in 2023.