Davis Love III on United States Ryder Cup wildcards

Omnisports

August 29, 2016 5:10 AM

Davis Love III says the eight players already qualified for the Ryder Cup can help to select the United States' wildcards.

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United States captain David Love III says he will seek guidance from his automatic selections ahead of making four captain's picks for the Ryder Cup.

Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Brandt Snedeker and Jimmy Walker are guaranteed spots on the home team for the event at Hazeltine National Club.

A further three wildcards will be announced on September 11, followed by a final recruit two weeks later, with the competition set to begin on September 30 in Minnesota.

"Now we have a team and these eight guys need to help us pick four more," Love told a news conference.

"Phil Mickelson is their leader on the golf course, and we have got some veterans from number one to number eight that need to take ownership of this team and go play."

Love singled out this year's U.S. Open winner Dustin Johnson, who has made two Ryder Cup and two Presidents Cup appearances, as a key influence.

"Obviously our top four or five guys have been on the team for quite a while," he said.

"We have been talking to them, getting information from them, but Dustin is one of our most talented players.

"He's a powerful, long hitter ... he's willing to do anything we ask him to do. He fits in very, very well. He's easy to pair and he's just so calm under pressure.

"Obviously what happened at the U.S. Open with the ruling, not many people would have handled that as calmly as he did," Love added, referring to a one-stroke penalty applied after his final round for moving a ball on the fifth green.

"He's a great steady influence on the team."

Jordan Spieth will be making his second Ryder Cup appearance, having won the Masters and the US Open in 2015, the year after debuting in a defeat to Europe at Gleneagles.

"Jordan Spieth is a team guy," Love said.

"He's all about his team. He's very organised. Got an incredible game plan. He sticks with his game plan.

"Something that we really talked about in this whole year-and-a-half process is we have to have a game plan and stick with it. Jordan is another guy that can be paired with anybody. [He is a] great putter under pressure."

Love and his players are seeking a first victory since the 2008 Ryder Cup, having given up a 10-6 lead going into the final day to lose in a memorable European comeback the last time the event was held in the United States in 2012.

Omnisports

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