Spots Up For Grabs On Azinger’s Ryder Cup Team
08/08/2008 06:42
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Paul Azinger loves the way his Ryder Cup team is shaping up going into the PGA Championship, the final tournament to earn one of the eight automatic spots on the U.S. squad.
By putting so much emphasis on the majors, though, there could be a surprise addition from Oakland Hills - even a club pro.
The PGA of America announced a purse Wednesday of US$7.5 million, with $1.35 million going to the winner. Because each $1,000 is worth one point, and with the majors counting double, the winner gets 2,700 points. And because Steve Stricker is holding down the No. 8 spot at 2,603 points, any American in the field is still mathematically alive.
Such are the dynamics of this criteria that Azinger believes will give the U.S. its most qualified team in years. Even so, the captain focused on the players among the top eight going into the PGA Championship.
"It's going to be impossible to make the team based on last year's performance alone," Azinger said Wednesday. "You had to have played decent this year.
"And if you look at the list, I don't think you could make an argument that anybody in that top eight hasn't had a nice year."
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SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Their showing over the past few Ryder Cups certainly has to be an embarrassment to the Americans.