Final picks weigh heavily on U.S. captain Stricker
Steve Stricker has had restless nights of late.
The next five won’t be any easier.
The U.S. captain for The Presidents Cup is facing the biggest week of his tenure as the top 10 players in the standings will earn automatic berths to represent the Stars and Stripes with the conclusion on Labor Day of the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. It’s the second of four events in the FedExCup Playoffs.
Two days later, Stricker will make two at-large selections to fill out his squad.
It will be the best of days and the worst of days for Stricker.
“It’s going to be a good week in some regards because we’re going to finalize the team and we get to tell two guys they made the team,” Stricker said in a phone interview from his Wisconsin home. “But on the flip side, I’m going to have to tell some guys they didn’t make the team. That’s going to be hard. I’m not looking forward to it. It’s been keeping me awake at times.”
Nick Price, the captain for the Internationals, is in the same situation. The teams meet Sept. 28- Oct. 1 at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey. The USA is 9-1-1 in the biennial match play tussle and won 15½-14½ in South Korea in 2015, a contest decided on
“No one has really put together a run of any sort, so it’s coming down to this last week.”
U.S. team captain Steve Stricker, on the lack of front-runners for the two captain’s picks for the upcoming Presidents Cup
the final hole of the final singles match.
Stricker said he will be glued to the TV and the PGA Tour’s digital streaming device watching all four days of the Dell Technologies Championship. He will also be in regular contact with his four assistants: 2018 Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk, Tiger Woods, Fred Couples and Davis Love III. And he’ll be poring over statistics to help him make his decision.
“I have been watching and paying attention way more than normal,” Stricker said. “We’re looking at everything. I asked the assistants this week where they stood on the captain’s picks right now. I asked them what they are thinking. We’ve been texting back and forth. We’ll have a conference call on Tuesday.”
Wednesday, Stricker will make his announcement on Golf Channel from Cherokee Country Club near his home in Madison
Stricker said he also will ask the 10 players who automatically make the team who they think should be captain’s picks. While the final decision rests with Stricker, the whole team will be in on it.
The top seven players in the standings have locked up spots for the USA: Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka and Kevin Kisner.
Matt Kuchar, Patrick Reed and Charley Hoffman hold down the next three spots, with Hoffman just 23 points ahead of No. 11 Kevin Chappell. Only players ranked No. 11 through No. 18 can break into the top 10 this week.
Among them is No. 18 Phil Mickelson, who has been on the last 22 U.S. teams for The Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. Last week at the Northern Trust tournament, Mickelson said he had to “bring something to the table” to get picked by Stricker if he didn’t earn a spot in the top 10. But Mickelson has missed two of his last four cuts and finished in ties for 39th and 54th.
The others between Nos. 1118 are Brian Harman, Jason Dufner, Gary Woodland, Brendan Steele, Ryan Moore and Charles Howell III.
Stricker also said he’s kept a close eye on two players outside of the top 20 in the standings.
Stricker indicated that he would likely pick whoever finishes 11th in the standings. As for his second pick, he said he just doesn’t know right now.
“What has made it hard lately is no one has really separated themselves as a clear-cut choice,” he said. “It’s been hard. No one has really put together a run of any sort, so it’s coming down to this last week.”