RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: Zach Johnson faces a huge dilemma as he prepares to announce his US Ryder Cup roster…but will LIV’s leading group stars get a fair hit?
- Johnson will name the six picks that will complete his U.S. roster on Tuesday
- The American captain will probably have to choose between eight men for the last three places
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While nearly £15 million will go to the winner of the PGA Tour Championship on Sunday, the quirks of that lucrative Atlanta tournament take a back seat to a Tuesday announcement that will be worth nothing.
With the Ryder Cup just a month away, it will be up to US captain Zach Johnson first to name the six picks who will join the six men who have already qualified for the competition in Rome. On September 4, Luke Donald will do the same, albeit with less intrigue than his counterpart.
As with so many things in golf, an important LIV question needs to be put to the upcoming US team because, unlike the European situation, there are a number of stars from the breakaway circuit who are eligible and have strong claims.
A complication in that regard is Brooks Koepka, who fell outside the top of the rankings in the final week of qualifying and now needs a pick. After winning the US PGA Championship and excelling at the Masters, it is unthinkable that the five-time major winner would be left out and this week has received the vocal support of Scottie Scheffler, who topped the US qualifiers, on which also Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele.
U.S. team captain Zach Johnson will name his entire 12-man Ryder Cup roster on Tuesday
Koepka’s selection would be left with five spots and that’s where the image becomes blurry. Johnson’s vice-captain Fred Couples has already taken the somewhat unusual step of saying publicly that Cameron Young and Jordan Spieth will be in Italy, which was a nod to the former’s consistency and the latter’s track record, and in theory means there will be three places are available. grabs.
So the dilemma is spread between Collin Morikawa, who is arguably the best iron player in golf and was carded 61 and 64 in his first two rounds of the Tour Championship, but also Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns and Rickie Fowler, who be shape. Lucas Glover and Tony Finau. To reintroduce the LIV issue, Talor Gooch has won three times in six months and Bryson Dechambeau also recently claimed a win including a round of 58.
But will those last two take quite a beating when Johnson is seemingly so uninterested in their tour? When asked by Mail Sport at the US PGA Championship why he wouldn’t go on a recon mission, he pointed out too many other commitments and didn’t even know which television channel he might find them on, though he’s hardly unique in that sense.
Of that bunch, Morikawa appears to be a lock, though the curveball could still come from Justin Thomas, who has had a dismal season but a proven history alongside Spieth. In an arena where partnerships are worth their weight in gold – the combination of Cantlay and Schauffele being the other example – Johnson could very well lean in that direction, although either case will be viewed as controversial.
Collin Morikawa will likely be one of eight players battling for the last three spots
But will LIV stars like Talor Gooch take a fair hit from Johnson?
As with Morikawa, Bradley also did well in East Lake with loops of 63 and 67 ahead of Saturday’s third round. The other hopefuls all lined up halfway.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy battled to defend his title despite suffering back spasms this week. The fact that he has a problem that has increased his ability to drive the ball to full throttle will worry Donald, as will Shane Lowry’s missed attempt at the Czech Masters.
On the course, McIlroy finished one over for the day and nine under overall, falling eleven shots behind leader Hovland in eighth.