In this photo released by the PGA of America, United States Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin smiles during a news conference at the New Yor Stock Exchange on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010, in New York. Pavin announced his captain's pick Tuesday, selecting Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink to the team. The Ryder Cup is scheduled to take place from Oct. 1-3 at the Celtic Manor in Wales.Mike Ehrmann
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For those wondering how the U.S. team will so decidedly be an underdog at the Ryder Cup in Wales next month, the picks captain Cory Pavin announced yesterday to round out his squad tell the story quite nicely.
Typically, Ryder Cup skippers use their discretionary picks to add players that are showing the best form as the event comes closer or to make up for some deficiencies among those who qualified for the team through the rankings, or perhaps to add a veteran stalwart coming off injury.
The captain's picks can often make or break a team. In 2008 when the United States won the Ryder Cup, Paul Azinger's picks won 8 1/2 out of a possible 14 points, a big reason the Americans swamped Europe 16.5-11.5.
The ability to tailor his team was the inspiration for Azinger to amend the Ryder Cup selection process after 2006 to expand the number of discretionary picks available to the team captain to four from two, with the other eight players qualifying for the team automatically based on a points ranking system.
The problem is that for all the gushing by U.S. Ryder Cup officials about the qualities of the Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink and Rickie Fowler - Tom Lehman, Pavin's assistant captain, said of the choices: "I think Corey has selected four great players out of a universe of great players. It's a very strong team." - they're not exactly Nicklaus, Watson, Hogan and Palmer.
Woods was an obvious choice given he's the world's No. 1-ranked golfer; no captain would be courageous enough to leave him off, particularly since Woods put word out that he wanted to be on the team. But change the name and ignore the ranking and what do you have? Woods is 35, in the midst of the worst season of his career, and is coming off multiple knee surgeries, a neck problem and a rumoured nine-figure divorce settlement. He missed the last Ryder Cup, a U.S. victory, and posted a 10-13-2 record in five previous appearances. He's been on Cup-winning team just once, in 1999.
But hope is found in Woods's recent performances - five of his past eight rounds in the 60s, his best streak of golf this year.
Related: USA: Team profiles Europe: Team profiles
Cink has now been a captain's pick three times in four appearances. "I guess all that means is I'm not very good in qualifying in the top 10, I don't know," Cink said. And while he certainly qualifies as a veteran presence, that he's the best Pavin could reach for suggests how bare the cupboard was to begin with. Since backing into his British Open title in 2009, Cink has struggled, failing to register a top-10 finish since June and just three all season. He has Ryder Cup experience but lacks pedigree given his record of three wins, four halved matches and eight losses (3-4-8).
Johnson is a player perhaps most in Pavin's mould: a determined competitor short on physical gifts. The 2007 Masters champion has picked up his game this summer, but was 1-1-2 in 2008 and has just one top 10 - a third-place finish at the PGA Championship - since his win at the Crowne Plaza Invitational last May.
Pavin's surprise pick was Rickie Fowler, the flashy 21-year-old who has two runner-up finishes on his professional résumé, though none since June when he blew a third-round lead at the Memorial Tournament.
Why Fowler?
Pavin couldn't really answer. "It just came down to feelings," the captain said. "I had a gut feeling about Rickie."
No doubt Pavin will be feeling it in his gut in Wales in three weeks time. Good or bad is the question.