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Davis Love III faces toughest test in Ryder Cup wild-card pick

 

Tuesday 04 September 2012 11:55 BST
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Furyk and Stricker could be Love’s choice, to give the US team’s three rookies support
Furyk and Stricker could be Love’s choice, to give the US team’s three rookies support

Davis Love III is set to end speculation over the final make-up of the United States Ryder Cup team today by naming his four wild-card picks. The US captain has to reduce a shortlist of up to eight for the match against Europe at Medinah, near Chicago, later this month. With many of those players in form, Love is facing one of the toughest selection decisions of any US captain in recent times.

His challenge is to find a team to break the dominance of Europe, who have won four of the last five contests. Chief among his considerations might be the issue of experience, meaning veterans Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker could be uppermost in his thoughts. The US already boast Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who have made 14 appearances between them, in their team, but also among their automatic qualifiers are three rookies. Love may feel 42-year-old Furyk, who has played at seven Ryder Cups, and 45-year-old Stricker, could offer much to first-timers Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson. Stricker and Furyk also went close to automatic qualification, finishing 10th and 11th on the list respectively.

In terms of form, Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney might have timed their runs perfectly.

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