Decisions await Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger
GOLF / THE SPIN
The U.S. team captain has four spots to fill. The results of the weekend's Barclays tournament probably didn't help him much with the choices.
Be fair. You need to give credit when it's due, and the FedEx Cup playoffs got off to a rousing start over the weekend when the Barclays didn't just wind up in a playoff, but it was a playoff featuring big names Vijay Singh and Sergio Garcia.
The fact that Singh and Garcia, whose putting problems have been a searing pain for both, wound up dropping birdie putts all over the place only added to the spectacle.
And while Tiger Woods and his reconstructed left knee were out of sight in the FedEx chase, he was still visible elsewhere. Woods was in Dubai today at a news conference concerning the launch of a $1.09-billion golf project he designed.
So while the FedEx Cup people are smiling, the Ryder Cup people aren't exactly grinning ear to ear.
It's not going to be easy for U.S. captain Paul Azinger to fill out his dance card in just over a week when he announces his four extra choices for the team that will play Europe in next month's Ryder Cup matches.
Why is that?
Simple. Because so many of those in contention for the last four spots missed the cut at the Barclays. So much for the hot-hand theory.
Roll call. Now line up there on the wrong side of the cut line . . . Woody Austin, Sean O'Hair, Zach Johnson, D.J. Trahan, Rocco Mediate and even you two long shots, Bart Bryant and Jeff Quinney.
They are all presumably part of Azinger's thought processes, and his idea for increasing the captain's picks from two to four to get the guys playing well at the best time -- well, it's not looking so good right now.
Besides that, Boo Weekley, who earned his way onto the team, also missed the cut.
However, there is a bright spot: Justin Leonard is a picture of consistency. Leonard tied for seventh at the Barclays after closing with a 67. He's missed just one cut in 21 events on the PGA Tour this year after missing 12 in 2007.
Leonard was ranked 245 at the 2007 Buick Open and he's 24th now.
It may also soothe Azinger's nerves to know that everything's not totally grand on the other side, either. Ian Poulter pulled out of the Johnnie Walker Championship on the European Tour, meaning that the only way he's going to make the team is if Nick Faldo uses a captain's pick on him.
Poulter missed the cut at the Barclays and needs to play the Deutsche Bank this week to stay in the FedEx Cap race, so he's passing on the Johnnie Walker.
