US Ryder Cup captain Stricker has six picks for team to face Europe at Whistling Straits
Written by Noble Team on 10 June 2020
Steve Stricker will select half of this year’s United States Ryder Cup team after the PGA of America made changes to the qualifying process.
The US captain will make six selections to add to six who qualify through a points system – the team usually has eight qualifiers and four wildcards.
The coronavirus pandemic has led to the cancellation of qualifying events and a change to the US selection criteria.
The US play Europe from 25-27 September at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
“With all the various changes to the 2020 schedule, it quickly became apparent that we would need to amend our selection criteria,” Stricker said.
“We agreed that a smaller sampling of 2020 events – including just one major (the US PGA Championship from 6-9 August) – would justify a one-week extension of the qualification window and an increase in the number of captain’s selections from four to six.”
The BMW Championship, which concludes on 30 August, will mark the cut-off for points accrued through the season for US selection for the Ryder Cup.
Europe are the defending champions having won the biennial tournament in France in 2018.
This year’s captain, Padraig Harrington, will have four wildcard picks to add to eight who qualify through a points system.
The PGA Tour resumes on Thursday with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Fort Worth, Texas, the first event to be held following a three-month break because of the coronavirus crisis.
It is the first of five PGA Tour events that are scheduled to be played behind closed doors.
There will be live text and radio coverage on the BBC Sport website for all four days of the tournament.
Analysis
BBC Sport golf correspondent Iain Carter
After weeks of negativity regarding prospects for the Ryder Cup taking place in September, this announcement indicates organisers remain hopeful it can happen.
Stricker was the man who last week said it would be a crime if the match is played without fans. He now wields huge power over the make up of the US team because half of it will be made up by his selections.
With the men’s game about to resume in the United States, the PGA of America will be monitoring closely the success of forthcoming tournaments and especially July’s Memorial event which intends to have some spectators present.
