Sizing up contenders Ryder Cup wild-card spots

Paul Azinger, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, revamped the selection process for 2008 to lean more heavily on recent play. Azinger also emphasizes winning tournaments. Of the eight qualifiers finalized Sunday (Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Ben Curtis and Boo Weekley) that will face Europe next month in Louisville, Ky., only Furyk and Curtis have not won in the past year.

Azinger also asked for more time to make his wild-card picks and that the Ryder Cup point standings be maintained through Sept. 2, when he will announce his four choices three weeks before the biennial competition. He almost certainly will rely heavily on the final Ryder Cup points list when making his picks.

His personal relationships will have no bearing on his choices, he said.

Experience is overrated, Azinger said, especially considering that the five Americans already on the team who've played in previous Ryder Cups are a combined 18-34-15. With that in mind -- and some calculations of our own in which the wild-card contenders are given a point total based on their world ranking, Ryder Cup points and money earnings relative to each other -- here's our ranking of the top 12 contenders each of the next three weeks.

THE TOP 12

-- 1. Steve Stricker (69 Bee points): 10th (Official World Golf Ranking); 10th (Ryder Cup points standing); 22nd PGA Tour money list.

Won the Barclays last August; great putter, which doesn't hurt in match play; knocked from the final rung of the automatic bid ladder at PGA Championship.

-- 2. Sean O'Hair (63): 38th, 14th, 20th.

Won the PODS Championship in March; his numbers suggest he should be in the front of Azinger's mind.

-- 3. Woody Austin (58): 40th, 11th, 33rd.

Fierce competitor, great teammate, super ball-striker; trails only Stricker in Ryder Cup points among those not already on the team.

-- 4. Hunter Mahan (61): 36th, 13th, 29th.

Young lion fared poorly at the PGA after the spotlight turned his way when he criticized the Ryder Cup structure.

-- 5. J.B. Holmes (56): 54th, 18th, 17th.

Won the FBR Open in February; deliberate pace of play might drive Europeans, known for slow play of their own, to drink; 400-yard drives a plus in team matches.

-- 6. Rocco Mediate (44): 51st, 15th, 50th.

Gave Tiger Woods all he could handle at the U.S. Open, but is Mr. Nice Guy the kind of tiger U.S. team really needs? Last PGA Tour win in 2002.

-- 7. Brant Snedeker (48): 44th, 16th, 43rd.

Defending champion of this week's Wyndham Championship; showed his mettle in the final round at this year's Masters.

-- 8. D.J. Trahan (50): 77th, 12th, 24th.

Won the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in January; his world ranking lags in comparison to his Ryder Cup points standing; seems a little low-profile for the big stage.

-- 9. Chad Campbell (46): 61st, 21st, 27th.

Won the Viking Classic last September for his fourth PGA Tour win; hard to imagine what Azinger thinks of enigma who hasn't lived up to expectations.

-- 10. Zach Johnson (41): 33rd, 17th, 113th.

Stared down Woods at 2007 Masters but hasn't done much since; hits fairways and a dependable putter.

-- 11. Bart Bryant (44): 63rd, 20th, 30th.

Not the pick to get the blood racing; seemingly needs two top-five finishes during next three weeks.

-- 12. Jeff Quinney (53): 58th, 19th, 19th.

Has never won on the PGA Tour. You have to think Azinger would hold that against him in any tiebreaking scenarios.

NEED THREE GREAT WEEKS

Steve Flesch, Brinny Baird, Brian Gay, Steve Lowery, Steve Marino, Paul Goydos, Jerry Kelly, Heath Slocum, Pat Perez, Bubba Watson, Kevin Sutherland, Scott Verplank.

(Contact Steve Pajak at spajak@sacbee.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)