The 2021 US Ryder Cup team is now set, with American captain Steve Stricker announcing the six captain's picks that round out the 12-player team that will take on the 12-man European side at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin from Sept. 24-26.
2020 US Ryder Cup team members
Stricker announced his six captain's picks were:
- Tony Finau (7th in points standings)
- Xander Schauffele (8th in points standings; rookie)
- Jordan Spieth (9th in points standings)
- Harris English (10th in points standings; rookie)
- Daniel Berger (12th in points standings; rookie)
- Scottie Scheffler (14th in points standings; rookie)
The captain's picks join the six automatic American qualifiers, who were confirmed after the BMW Championship, two weeks ago:
- Collin Morikawa
- Dustin Johnson
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Brooks Koepka
- Justin Thomas
- Patrick Cantlay
Stricker ultimately wound up picking every player in the final top 12 of the US Ryder Cup points standings, save for Patrick Reed, who proved to be a difficult call for Stricker.
Reed contracted double pneumonia during the week of The Northern Trust and was admitted to a Houston-area hospital to treat the condition. Reed said his doctors thought there was a chance he could die from the condition, but he was able to recover in time for the season-ending Tour Championship. Doctors didn't believe Reed should fly from Houston to Atlanta for the event, so he drove. Reed finished 23rd in the 72-hole scoring of the event, not counting starting strokes.
Brooks Koepka is also of concern for the event. He withdrew from the Tour Championship after hitting a tree root with a recovery shot at East Lake. If he's unable to go, then Stricker will need to name a replacement.
It's also possible that any of these 12 players may contract COVID-19. If a player does get the virus and is not able to complete the testing protocol in time, an alternate will need to be named.
European captain Padraig Harrington will learn the nine automatic qualifiers for his team on Sept. 12, with the conclusion of the European Tour's BMW PGA Championship. He will then name three captain's picks on Sept. 13.
