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U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III announced his captain's picks and while a case can be made that they were solid, a case can also be made for some players left off.

Love went with Steve Stricker, Brandt Snedeker, Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk to round out his squad that will take on Europe at Medina near Chicago on Sept. 28-30.

Of the players left off the team, the best case can be made for Hunter Mahan. A two-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, Mahan was ranked higher in the Ryder Cup standings than any of the other captain's picks.

Mahan led the Ryder Cup standings after The Masters but still did not automatically qualify, speaking to the depth of the U.S. team this year as well as Mahan's drop in form of late.

One of Mahan's wins this season came at the Match Play, where he defeated Rory McIlroy in the final. European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal said he was surprised by Hunter Mahan's absence from the U.S. squad.

They are very solid picks," Olazabal said Wednesday. "All the American players from nine to 14 on the list were all very solid and Davis could have picked any four. The only question mark as I see it was Snedeker picked ahead of Mahan, but then Davis has gone for form.

"Snedeker has pretty much been playing well from the start of the summer and all the way to the FedEx Series. However, Mahan has not been playing all that well, so (Love) went for form and in that regard he has my respect."

Rickie Fowler's name was bandied about as a possible pick and has played well on U.S. teams in the past but his recent form took him out of the mix.

Fowler won the Wells Fargo Championship in a playoff over McIlroy but hasn't finished better than a tie for 24th since May.

 

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