The Ryder Cup is finally returning to our lives in a few weeks at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin and this morning U.S. captain Steve Stricker made his six captain’s picks to make his team of 12 players official.
Those players, which are all solid selections, are: Daniel Berger, Harris English, Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, and Scottie Scheffler.
Those players join these six other players who qualified through the points system: Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay.
You might notice one big name missing from those lists – Patrick Reed.
Stricker had a chance to pick Reed, who is ranked No. 19 in the world, on Wednesday, but instead opted to go with four rookies, including Scheffler, who is ranked 21st in the world.
The captain said he lost sleep over the decision and that Reed took the decision “like a true champion” during their phone call in which Stricker broke the news to him.
I have to be honest – I’m not a Patrick Reed guy. He’s done a lot of shady things during many tournaments that will rightfully always taint his reputation. And I have to think a bunch of the guys on the team aren’t the biggest fans of him, either.
But come on, the dude should be on this team. Not only for the way he plays in this event (he has a 7-3-2 record including 3-0 in singles matches, which is pretty darn solid) but for the way he lives to compete and cause a raucous in this event.
Remember him shushing Rory McIlroy in 2016 in one of the most fun singles matches in Ryder Cup history?
Patrick Reed, rightfully, gets a lot of grief.
But his match in 2016 vs Rory is literally one of the best ever. He wanted and got Europe’s best player and took the W. The opening back and forth battle was obscene.
Best single match I’ve watched as it happened. pic.twitter.com/IzhjuYsRoN
— Rick Golfs (@Rickgolfstx) September 8, 2021
He won that match, which was the opening match of the day, 1-up and set the tone for the last U.S. Ryder Cup victory.
He also did this in 2018 in Paris:
Team USA needs guys who care that much on their teams. I’m not saying the four rookies selected won’t care as much as this, but Reed LIVES for these moments and doesn’t shy away from anything in these Ryder Cup matchups.
Again, I’m not a fan of his but every two years if he’s playing well he should be on this team, no matter how it might affect team camaraderie.
And I know with the Koepka-DeChambeau nonsense already engulfing this team that adding Reed might add even more turmoil to the squad but who gives a rip if on Sunday Reed is taking down one of the European’s best players?
Koepka, by the way, withdrew from the Tour Championship last Saturday with a wrist injury so who knows – maybe Reed can still make this team if Koepka can’t give it a go. We’ll have to wait and see how that plays out.
Stricker mentioned that part of his decision to keep Reed off the team was his health and recent lack of play. A few weeks ago Reed was hospitalized with double pneumonia, which seemed very serious. But last week he was back playing in the Tour Championship where he went 72-69-66-71 to finish in 25th. I don’t think lack of playing (he missed two tournaments before the Tour Championship) or health should be concerns at all.
I think this was a move by Stricker to have a better attitude within the team and maybe that will help Team USA get a win, and that’s what I’m going to be rooting for.
I want to U.S. to win this Ryder Cup so badly and I think Reed would give them a better chance of doing that.
I also think Stricker took the easy way out by not selecting Reed and that could come back and bite him in the butt.
Which would be a bummer.
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