Zach Johnson has named his six wildcard picks to complete Team USA for the 2023 Ryder Cup!
Johnson's six automatic qualifiers were: Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele.
The main contenders for a wildcard pick include the likes of: Spieth, Koepka, Fowler, Morikawa, Thomas, Burns, Bradley, Glover, DeChambeau, D Johnson and McCarthy.
And Johnson has today just confirmed: Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Sam Burns as his six picks to make up the team.
Team USA will be looking to retain the trophy after their record victory last time out at Whistling Straits, where Steve Stricker's Americans beat Harrington's Europeans 19-9 in Wisconsin.
RYDER CUP QUICK LINKS
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Who will Johnson pick? We'll find out very soon!
WE ARE READY
Not long now until Team USA will completed for the 2023 Ryder Cup at Rome! Follow James Nursey's live updates throughout the announcement this morning at the PGA of America's headquarters in Frisco, Texas.
WHEN ARE THE US WILDCARD PICKS ANNOUNCED?
Zach Johnson will name his six picks between 10am-11am ET (3pm-4pm BST).
Excitement is building ahead of USA captain Zach Johnson's announcement with less than an hour now until he confirms his 12-man team for Italy. You have to go back to 1993 for the last US side to win on foreign soil but many people feel America now have the necessary strength in depth to end that sorry statistic
By now captain Johnson should have contacted all the players to tell them the good news - or the bad. After two years of qualifying and analysis, Johnson and his vice captains will have been on the phone telling the players who needs to pack for Rome but equally courtesy calls are also made to those missing out to inform them of their fate. Now Johnson just needs to let the press and public know too!
Soon. pic.twitter.com/Bcf7IZnc9MAugust 29, 2023
It's hard to believe but the US haven't won a Ryder Cup on foreign soil since 1993 when the Tom Watson-led Americans pulled off a 15-13 victory at the Belfry in England. There were just three rookies: John Cook, Lee Janzen and Davis Love III. The other nine players accounted for a combined 30 Ryder Cup appearances. Captain's picks Ray Floyd and Lanny Wadkins had played in seven Ryder Cups apiece. So something for Johnson to ponder perhaps.
The Guardian reckon Johnson’s six picks will include Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas who were Nos. 7, 8, 13 and 15, respectively, on the final US points list with Collin Morikawa also expected to get the nod. The last pick is likely to then be No. 9 Cameron Young, 11 Keegan Bradley, 12 Sam Burns or 16 Lucas Glover.
Arguably the most controversial and toughest call will be including Justin Thomas. Thomas has previously been the scourge of Europe with his fired up antics but hasn't had much to shout about lately. The 30-year-old missed cuts at the US Open and the Open with rounds of more than 80 and has been badly out of sorts but the smoke signals emanating in the last 48 hours from America suggest he will be included in Johnson's side nonetheless.
But whatever his selections, Johnson faces a lot of scrutiny and criticism from fans because some big name players will potentially be missing out today like Dustin Johnson and even Bryson DeChambeau, who recently shot a stunning 58 in LIV and has a following. A sample of the feedback includes: "JT getting a pick just means it's a boys club and rankings don't matter outside the top 6. Other people have played better than him this year. Give them a shot."
Johnson is on the podium and poised to announce his picks....
Johnson is first of all just detailing his pleasure at the automatic qualifiers for his side: Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele
And joining those six are Johnson's wildcards: Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Sam Burns, "They are six guys we felt made our team whole."
Johnson said: "To say I am excited about these gents is an understatement. They are a great fit for each other and Marco Simone. With that comes a lot of awesome options to do what we want to do, which is win. We have some great experience in there too going across the pond. I am confident we will be ready to go at the end of September."
Captain Johnson Confirms His Ryder Cup Team
So to recap , Johnson has confirmed Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Sam Burns are wildcards joining Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele
Johnson on wildcard Sam Burns: "He won the match play this year and is a tremendous putter. Guys want to be around him and guys want to play with him."
Johnson on Fowler: "He has had a great 2023 with a win and a really good US Open. He has been a model of consistency and is extremely flexible in terms of pairings and formats. He makes every team room better."
Johnson on Brooks Koepka said: "He is made for the big occasion and there is no bigger than the Ryder Cup. His buddies want him in the team and I am delighted to have him." Koepka is unbeaten in Sunday singles. He said: "Teeing it up at the Ryder Cup was the most nervous I have been and I've always wanted to go get a point for the team. We have a great group of guys, it is going to be a fun week."
Johnson on Collin Morikawa: "He is a ball striking machine and a very strong fit for Marco Simone and what we feel the course will be." The player himself added after his debut last time around: "There is nothing like playing for someone else and the red, white and blue. We want to create new history for the US side. I am excited and everyone else is."
Johnson on Spieth: "Great putter, great short game, seems he is never out of the hole , a great matchplay player. He seems to bring his best out in the hardest of situations. As a team-mate and as a player he has a lot of experience. He is one of our stalwarts on Team USA."
Johnson on Justin Thomas: "He has without doubt been the heart and soul of our team. He has a fantastic Ryder Cup record and his passion for the Ryder Cup is very evident. In my mind he was born for this. You just don't leave JT out."
US Confirm Their Team On Social Media
Book the tickets, gentlemen ✈ With his six Captain's Picks, @ZachJohnsonPGA selects: 🇺🇸@BKoepka 🇺🇸@JordanSpieth 🇺🇸@collin_morikawa 🇺🇸@RickieFowler 🇺🇸@JustinThomas34 🇺🇸@SamBurns66 pic.twitter.com/V7PbDlzaZZAugust 29, 2023
Johnson is now taking questions about players he overlooked including the likes of Cameron Young, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau. He admitted: "It did keep me up at night having to make those phone calls, specifically Cameron Young. All of those phone calls were extremely difficult but the people receiving them were beyond classy."
Johnson is now being asked about Justin Thomas' poor recent results, he responded: "Obviously form is a part of our decision-making process. There are a number of elements in that process and that is one of them but so is: fit for the golf course, fit for the team room, experience and in my mind passion and full confidence that is where he belongs. It came down to being a pretty easy pick. Especially when the top six guys took some ownership as well." Quite an endorsement!
Captain Johnson has also been asked about Dustin Johnson, who won five out of five matches at Whistling Straits last time around, and he basically said LIV golfer DJ had a chance to stake a claim in the Majors but didn't do enough to get in
Justin Thomas, who missed out on the Tour Championship, admitted: "I have had a lot of sleepless nights wondering whether I was on the team or not. Then last night after the call from Zach, I couldn't sleep because I was so excited. I wouldn't want to go into battle with any other crew."
Thomas is now of course under big pressure to perform as a captain's pick, the player responded: "Zach and I have had conversations and communication for months. Playing in the Ryder Cup is enough pressure. I don't look at it as I have to play well as pick. I haven't been in this position before but in the team events previously my nerves have been plenty high just trying to do the best I can to get a point for my team."
One observation on this press conference, is USA captain Zach Johnson doesn't seem very adept at handling two part questions. On the occasions journalists have asked questions putting more than one point to the USA captain, he has repeatedly had to ask them to repeat the question or got muddled up. It may sound a small point to make but these slips are often analysed and can come back to haunt a captain as Hal Sutton discovered following some of his press remarks!
Johnson is nearing the end of his press conference now and is being asked about the course itself - Marco Simone. "It is a very hilly golf course. It is very trying. There is a lot of change in elevation shot to shot and the course has a ton of character. It is going to be a trying walk when you throw in four sessions. We have to be very careful of what we do with our men and their caddies. It was built for something of this magnitude with a castle in the middle of it which is pretty cool. As far as course fit with the guys, it is taking those guys, throwing them into the golf course and seeing how they perform. These are the six guys we feel we need to complement the six guys who earned their way."
Captain Zach Johnson wraps up his team announcement
So there you have it, confirmation and reaction to Team USA's latest Ryder Cup side with wildcards Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Sam Burns joining qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele. Thomas' inclusion despite his poor form is the main headline but Zach Johnson insisted: "It came down to being a pretty easy pick" due to the player's experience, passion for the event and popularity with his six already qualified team-mates, who the captain admits had a big say in selection as USA bid to retain the trophy and win on foreign soil for the first time since 1993.
