Five of their first eight members of the United States' 12-man Ryder Cup team have secured their invitations to Hazeltine National Golf Club in late September. The other three of eight automatic qualifiers will be known by the time the final putt drops at the PGA Tour's Barclays tournament on Long Island late Sunday.
Major winners Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson and Jimmy Walker as well as Brooks Koepka already have clinched spots. Brandt Snedeker, Zach Johnson and Patrick Reed occupy the final three automatic spots, while J.B. Holmes, Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar and Rickie Fowler are the next four players in line.
U.S. captain Davis Love III will pick three more players after the FedEx Cup playoffs' BMW Championship next month, and he will announce them the following morning (Sept. 12) at Hazeltine National. He will pick one more player to complete his roster just before his team boards a flight to Minnesota for the competition, which will be played Sept. 30 through Oct. 2.
Europe's nine automatic qualifiers already are guaranteed. Led by Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia, the European team will include five Ryder Cup rookies: Masters champion Danny Willett, Chris Wood, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Andy Sullivan and Matthew Fitzpatrick, who clinched the final available spot Sunday. Captain Darren Clarke can make his three captain's picks this week.
JERRY ZGODA
