This article is part of our Golf Barometer series.
Davis Love finally had his big day out - the four Ryder Cup selections - so let's look at how he did.
Jim Furyk: With a season of choking on the map and a history of mediocre Ryder Cup finishes, Furyk was a mistake as one of the captain picks. Maybe Furyk is a bulldog when it comes to turning a T33 into a T17, but his window as an elite player is closed. And we're going to look back ion his career and wonder why he didn't win more.
If Love wanted to go with a hot player, Nick Watney made sense. Hunter Mahan hasn't been great this year, but he has Ryder Cup experience and he won the Match Play in February. Furyk, obviously, hasn't won anything this year. Bogey.
Dustin Johnson: He's longer than the Old Testament, and he looked more confident with his short game in Boston. A no-brainer Ryder Cup pick. Birdie.
Steve Stricker: He's still an elite putter and wedge player, and he's the ideal partner for Tiger Woods. Smart addition. Par.
Brandt Snedeker: A rookie Ryder Cupper is always a controversial pick, but Snedeker's personality fits the team, and he's another dynamite putter. And for the first two days, his eyes (helping a partner navigate the greens) will help as much as his actual putts. Unconventional birdie.
Davis Love: At the end of the day, he had two obvious picks (Johnson and Stricker), one hard-to-avoid pick (Snedeker) and one name-over-production pick (Furyk). Three
Davis Love finally had his big day out - the four Ryder Cup selections - so let's look at how he did.
Jim Furyk: With a season of choking on the map and a history of mediocre Ryder Cup finishes, Furyk was a mistake as one of the captain picks. Maybe Furyk is a bulldog when it comes to turning a T33 into a T17, but his window as an elite player is closed. And we're going to look back ion his career and wonder why he didn't win more.
If Love wanted to go with a hot player, Nick Watney made sense. Hunter Mahan hasn't been great this year, but he has Ryder Cup experience and he won the Match Play in February. Furyk, obviously, hasn't won anything this year. Bogey.
Dustin Johnson: He's longer than the Old Testament, and he looked more confident with his short game in Boston. A no-brainer Ryder Cup pick. Birdie.
Steve Stricker: He's still an elite putter and wedge player, and he's the ideal partner for Tiger Woods. Smart addition. Par.
Brandt Snedeker: A rookie Ryder Cupper is always a controversial pick, but Snedeker's personality fits the team, and he's another dynamite putter. And for the first two days, his eyes (helping a partner navigate the greens) will help as much as his actual putts. Unconventional birdie.
Davis Love: At the end of the day, he had two obvious picks (Johnson and Stricker), one hard-to-avoid pick (Snedeker) and one name-over-production pick (Furyk). Three out of four ain't bad. Par.
