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Ryder Cup
Did Stricker Make The Right Call on Patrick Reed?
If you were the US Team Captain, would you pick Patrick Reed in your lineup to take on Europe at the upcoming Ryder Cup?
US Team Captain Steve Stricker was faced with that question. The tour veteran made the difficult call to overlook the former Masters Champion with his six Captain’s picks.
Reed is regularly in the frame when it comes to controversies in golf! However, the latest debate surrounding the 31-year-old doesn’t involve rule infringements, bold statements or questionable character. It involves his noticeable omission from the US Ryder Cup Team to meet Europe at Whistling Straits next week.
There are two sides to this story…
Stricker had two alarms when considering Reed for one of his Captain’s picks. He detailed Reed’s recent health scare as his major concern. In August, Reed was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia in his lungs and hospitalised for five days. He was forced to miss the first two FedExCup Playoff events before bravely returning to the course to compete at the season-ending TOUR Championship. In a bid to prove his fitness, the gritty Texan tied for 17th in actual scoring in that event. The other issue for Stricker was Reed’s run of poor form this season after winning the Farmers Insurance in January. Reed was unable to seriously contend at any of the 18 events that followed that victory at Torrey Pines.
On the other hand, Sticker considered factors in Reed’s favour.
Reed thrives in team competition—he is a proven performer when representing the Red, White and Blue. He is a competitive beast with a combative nature, which has driven him to an impressive Ryder Cup record 7-3-2. At the previous three Ryder Cups, Reed was undefeated in singles. That feat alone makes him hard to overlook. Reed finished 11th on the Ryder Cup points table at the conclusion of the recent TOUR Championship—the final Ryder Cup qualifying event. The first six players on that list are granted automatic team selection. Ranked as fifth in the ‘next-best’ category, Reed was well-placed for one of the six Captain’s picks.
In the end, Stricker selected the next four players on the Ryder Cup points table—Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth and Harris English before overlooking Reed to opt for Daniel Berger (12th) and Scottie Scheffler (14th).
The US Ryder Cup Team
Automatic qualification
Collin Morikawa
Dustin Johnson
Bryson DeChambeau
Brooks Koepka
Justin Thomas
Patrick Cantlay
Captain’s Picks
Tony Finau
Xander Schauffele
Jordan Spieth
Harris English
Daniel Berger
Scottie Scheffler
HAVE YOUR SAY...
Did Stricker make the right call on Patrick Reed?
We would love to hear your thoughts.
Image Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
