Pavin's Ryder Cup Picks Hard to Dispute

U.S. Ryder Cup team captain Corey Pavin (pictured) on Tuesday explained the logic behind his four wild-card picks with disarming simplicity.

"What was important to me is who I thought could play well in that environment over in Wales on European soil," Pavin said. "I wanted to find guys that round off the team and make it a team of 12, not 12 individuals that are great players. I wanted 12 players that made up a great team."

While Pavin will have to wait until the matches against Europe are played in South Wales on Oct. 1-3 to find out if he succeeded, at least, on paper, the captain's four picks appear difficult to question.

Pavin had just given the roll call, announcing (in order) Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler as hand-picked additions to a squad of eight points-system qualifiers.

"The important thing was to match up these four with the eight that are already on the team," said Pavin.

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Interestingly, Pavin made his announcement in New York City at a press conference hosted by the New York Stock Exchange, where speculation and risk are all in another day's work.

Pavin's investment capital comes in the form of his eight automatic points-system qualifiers: Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton and Matt Kuchar. But from that group, only Mickelson (seven), Mahan (one), Furyk (six) and Stricker (one) have past Ryder Cup experience.

So in Cink, Johnson and Woods the U.S. squad gets veteran savvy -- all major championship winners with past Ryder Cup experience. And in Fowler, the 21-year-old PGA Tour rookie, it gets the electricity of brash youth who brings a potentially momentum-turning aggressive game.

"I think we have a very good blend," Pavin said. "I was very pleased with the eight that I was given after the PGA Championship, and I think adding these four is a very good blend, as well. There's a lot of options. It gives me a lot of flexibility with the four players I picked today. There's many combinations up there that will work."

"I think we have a very good blend. I was very pleased with the eight that I was given after the PGA Championship, and I think adding these four is a very good blend."
-- Corey Pavin It's not hard to second-guess a captain's picks. Ask Europe's Colin Montgomerie. His selections announced two weeks ago did not include Paul Casey, the No. 9-ranked player in the world, or Justin Rose, a two-time 2010 PGA Tour winner.

By contrast, Pavin's picks seem grounded in logic. Before reaching the decision, he met with assistant captains Tom Lehman (boss of the 2006 U.S. team), Davis Love III, Jeff Sluman and Paul Goydos. Pavin said he also consulted with all eight of his automatic selections.

Woods ranks as the most obvious pick. Although still not in peak form since returning to the game following personal-life scandal, the world's No. 1-ranked player remains a formidable force.

And, despite suggestions to the contrary, pleased to be a part of the U.S. team.

"I look at it the same," Woods said when asked the contrast of being a qualifier or a captain's pick. "I'm part of the team and honored to be part of the team and looking forward to going over there and playing and competing and hopefully bringing back the Cup, and that's our main focus as a team.

"Whether I was a person who was picked or a person who earned their way on the squad, it doesn't change the overall goal, it's still the same, and that's to go over there and win."

As for whispers that Woods simply has indifference for team events and would just as soon skip the whole affair, Pavin interjected his conversation Monday night with Tiger.

"I asked him ... that I would like to have him on the team and he said absolutely," Pavin said. "And said, whatever you would like me to do, just tell me, which is exactly what a captain likes to hear from any player on the team."

Then there is the steady and calming influences of Johnson and Cink. Both are solid team guys. Both are good putters. Neither will be any sort of diversion.

Finally, there is Fowler, the wild card of the wild-card picks.

No PGA Tour rookie has ever been a Ryder Cup captain's pick. The former Oklahoma State All-American has yet to win a professional tournament and hasn't had a top-10 since June. Nevertheless, few in golf will argue that he does not have "it," whatever "it" is.

"It just came down to feelings," Pavin said. "I have a gut feeling about Rickie. He has a good Walker Cup record, 7-1. He's a very good player. There's a lot of very good players that I had to look at, but that's the way I went."

Expect Fowler to embrace the challenge.

"I do think I could bring some energy and that's one thing I would like to do, is help out the team by playing well, stuff like that," he said. "But also keeping the guys fired up and keeping that main goal in mind."

Simple enough.