Six Captain's Picks Steve Stricker Should Make — And Six He Shouldn't

Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth are no-brainers for the American team, writes Morning Read's Mike Purkey. But the captain should stay away from Patrick Reed and Kevin Kisner, for reasons that become apparent the deeper you look.

The good news is that U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker has six wild-card picks. The bad news is that Stricker has six picks. After last week’s BMW Championship, the qualifying period ended and Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay are automatic qualifiers.

That leaves Stricker with some work to do before the picks are announced Sept. 8. Morikawa and Cantlay will be rookies in three weeks at Whistling Straits. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s time for as much new blood as possible on the Ryder Cup team, players devoid of any scar tissue from Europe winning seven of the last nine matches.

For Stricker, three picks are obvious and three not so much. He has a wealth of talent to choose from. Here’s who he should pick – and who he shouldn’t.

6 Players Steve Stricker Should Pick

Sam Burns, who won the 2021 Valspar, should be on Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker's wildcard list / USA Today

Tony Finau

If Stricker had made his picks three weeks ago, Finau might have found himself on the outside. He had fooled around with putters, putting grips and stances to the point where he looked downright lost on the greens. And there’s no place in the Ryder Cup for anyone with putting demons. But after he won the Northern Trust in a playoff, his spot was locked up. If he can putt at the Ryder Cup — even just a little, he’ll be a formidable member of the team.

Xander Schauffele 

Although he hasn’t won this year on the PGA Tour, Schauffele did win an Olympic gold medal, finished third in the Masters and seventh in the U.S. Open, which has helped move him up to No. 5 in the world and No. 8 on the Ryder Cup points list. He’s fifth in total strokes gained and 20th in strokes gained (putting). And he will be a Ryder Cup rookie, which in this case, works in his favor.

Jordan Spieth 

At No. 9 on the points list, Spieth is the third lock. His climb out of the abyss has been epic and his victory at the Valero Texas Open in May proved to the golf world that he was back – almost. His physical game might be 90 percent healed but where is he between his ears, especially his confidence? At the Northern Trust, he shot 62 and 82. Even he says he’s still a work in progress. Ninety percent of Spieth is better than most, but is it good enough to win matches?

Daniel Berger 

The best thing you can say about Berger is that he’s a gamer. Having grown up with a tennis pro father, he learned to be ultra-competitive at a young age. Berger won at Pebble Beach in January and was T-3 at the Byron Nelson to go with seven other top-10s. He’s fifth in strokes gained (approach) and seventh in greens in regulation, which would make him an excellent foursomes partner. And he’s T-5 on Tour in final-round scoring average. Every match at the Ryder Cup has final-round heat – times 10.

Webb Simpson 

You still need players who have done this before but this is not about experience – this would be his fourth Ryder Cup – it’s about ability and performance. Simpson is second on Tour in final-round scoring average and 22nd in strokes gained (putting). He can play with anyone at any time in either foursomes or fourball. He was 2-1-0 in Paris and, if chosen, will immediately be one of the most respected players on the team.

Sam Burns 

There’s always one player you have to take a chance on, except in this case, it’s a calculated risk. In a month-long span in the spring, Burns was T-4 at the Zurich Classic, won the Valspar and was runner-up at the Byron Nelson. Lately, he lost in a playoff at the WGC-Fedex St. Jude and was eighth at last week’s BMW Championship. Burns is 12th in strokes gained putting and 18th in SG approach and T-3 in birdies per round. But what you can’t measure with stats are his hunger and desire. Now, about that ‘stache…

6 Players Steve Stricker Should Not Pick

Patrick Reed was a Ryder Cup force in 2014 and 2016. In 2018, not so much / USA Today

Patrick Reed 

Most everyone thought Reed was automatic but an ankle injury and bilateral pneumonia have cast a serious cloud of doubt over that proposition, although, remarkably, he is playing in this week’s Tour Championship. Reed hasn’t fared well since winning the Farmers Insurance Open in January. And at the last Ryder Cup in Paris, Reed lobbed a stink bomb when captain Jim Furyk split up Spieth and Reed, and it smelled worse when he accused Spieth of turning up his nose at their partnership. And he stunk up the joint as Tiger Woods’ partner in fourball. Captain America was no better than Corporal America.

Harris English 

The most borderline player in this group, English is likely to get a Stricker pick because of his two victories this season and his high ranking in a few key putting stats. However, the most concerning aspect about English is that he coughed up the lead in two tournaments this summer with disastrous final-round back nines – at Congaree and the WGC-FedEx St. Jude. If he thought that was pressure, the Ryder Cup is dialed up to 11 or higher.

Kevin Kisner 

A ton of people are going to argue his case, some very loudly. Especially after he won a six-man playoff at the Wyndham Championship, which is like playing a match against five other players at once. Kisner has an apparent huge upside. He’s tough and has an exemplary record in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. However, his major disqualifier lies in his own words. He said, “I’m not going to win at (courses like) Bethpage Black or Torrey Pines.” Whistling Straits is just as big a ballpark. That’s three strikes with one pitch.

Jason Kokrak

An intriguing player, Kokrak can bomb it and has become one of the best putters statistically on Tour. To boot, he has two wins in the wraparound season, all of which would merit him getting a seriously close look. But this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately kind of process and Kokrak has missed three cuts in his last seven starts.

Scottie Scheffler 

The view from the cognoscenti is that Scheffler is on the verge of busting through the gates into the realm of big-time players. However, potential means you haven’t done anything – yet. The Ryder Cup will be in Scheffler’s future. Just not in the immediate future.

Phil Mickelson

No way, no how. The news Wednesday that Phil will be a vice-captain spared Stricker the chance of making a bad pick (we think).