European Ryder Cup team has its nine automatic qualifiers
Nine of the 12 players who will represent Europe in the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National have been decided — and a week ahead of the cutoff.
Matt Fitzpatrick and Andy Sullivan locked up spots the two final automatic qualifying spots for the European dozen after last weekend’s D+D Real Czech Masters on the European Tour. Both players will be among the minimum five rookies that will be on captain Darren Clarke’s team. Joining them will be Rory McIlroy, Danny Willett, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Chris Wood, Justin Rose and Rafa Cabrera-Bello, who all had previously locked up spots on the European team.
Clarke will now pick three additional wild-card members of the team after this week’s European Tour event, the Made in Denmark. Among the contenders for that pick are Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Russell Knox and Shane Lowry, who is skipping out on the first leg of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs this week to compete in front of Clarke’s watchful eye in hopes of scoring a pick.
As for the Americans, The Barclays represents the final week of qualifying for one of eight automatic qualifying spots. With his T-3 at the Wyndham Championship, Brandt Snedeker jumped into the eighth spot in the money-based standings, ahead of J.B. Holmes. Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar and Rickie Fowler round out the top 12, with Jim Furyk quickly charging and now in 15th position.
American captain Davis Love III will make three of his four wild-card picks on Sept. 11, following the BMW Championship, and one final selection on Sept. 25, after the Tour Championship.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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