USA Ryder Cup Wildcard Contenders

With 8 players already in the team, we take a look at who could get a wildcard pick from Jim Furyk.

USA Ryder Cup Wildcard Contenders

With 8 players already in the team, we take a look at who could get a wildcard pick from Jim Furyk.

USA Ryder Cup Wildcard Contenders

With Jim Furyk set to name three of his Ryder Cup Wildcard picks over the coming days, we have taken a look at 10 American players who could well be selected to the team.

Right now, the players who have automatically qualified for the Cup are Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson.

Given that Thomas is the only rookie there, Furyk may decide to select a couple more from his four picks. On the other hand some elder statesmen in Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar could also get a pick too.

Furyk will name his last Ryder Cup pick after the BMW Championship.

The betting markets are very tight for who will get picked, check out Sportnation.bet for the latest odds.

Is there anyone we have missed? Who do you think will get a call up to the side? See our 10 possible selections below.

USA Ryder Cup Wildcard Contenders

Tiger Woods

Originally named as a vice-captain, Woods returned to golf at last years Hero World Challenge and has proven he can still play the game at the highest level coming close to victory several times in 2018. He came second at the 100th PGA Championship as well as the Valspar Championship, and also had the lead in the Open Championship before fading on the back nine. Bearing this in mind, it would be brave of Jim Furyk to leave Woods out of the side.

Bryson DeChambeau (rookie)

A player in red hot form of late, Bryson DeChambeau is in line to make his Ryder Cup debut in Paris thanks to wins at the Memorial Tournament earlier this year and a win at The Northern Trust just last week. He is a player who is quick to show his emotions on the course and could be suited to the passionate cauldron of golf that is the Ryder Cup. Currently ranked 12th in the world, we expect to see 'The Golfing Scientist' at Le Golf National.

Kevin Kisner (rookie)

It has been a mixed bag of a year for Kevin Kisner however he could be in Paris because he is 28th in the world which shows consistency, and he came second in this years Open Championship and WGC-Dell Technologies Matchplay. In the latter tournament, he showed brilliant resilience to beat Matt Kuchar, and Alex Noren to get to the final where he was humbled by Bubba Watson. It is also worth mentioning that he smashed matchplay master Ian Poulter 8 & 6 in the quarter-finals.

Related: 8 Potential USA Pairings

Tony Finau (rookie)

After DeChambeau, Finau is the highest ranked American (18) not to be a dead certainty to make the side and given his outstanding consistency this year, the young American could easily see himself on the plane to Europe in September. In the Majors this year he has had three top-10's, and has shown good form of late too picking up a solo 2nd place The Northern Trust.

Phil Mickelson

A mainstay of American Ryder Cup teams for over 20 years now, it would seem strange for Mickelson not to be involved somehow in Paris. In 2018, he has proven he can still compete beating Justin Thomas in a playoff to win the WGC-Mexico Championship and he could be an experienced partner for some of the younger guys in the team.

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Brandt Snedeker

For pretty much the whole year, Snedeker was nowhere near the standings but a tied 3rd at A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier, a tied 8th at the RBC Canadian Open and then a win at the Wyndham Championship, which included a 59, has thrust him back into contention. He could also be picked to partner up with Brooks Koepka like they did in 2016 when they didn't lose a match together.

Xander Schauffele (rookie) 

Another youngster looking to make his Ryder Cup debut, Schauffele may not have won this year, but he has proven to Furyk that he can perform when the pressure is at its highest. He had tied second places in The Players Championship and more recently the Open Championship at Carnoustie so maybe Furyk rewards that solid play with a spot on the team.

Matt Kuchar

Kuchar has unquestionable Ryder Cup experience so could be picked because of that. The main issue here though is form, as he has missed four of his last seven cuts. He would need to show Furyk something better than that because there is simply so much competition for places this year. He is currently tied 16th at the Dell-Technologies Championship so that is a good start for the Florida-native.

Brian Harman (rookie)

He may have struggled for form as of late, his last good result came at The Travellers Championship with a tied 6th, but Harman could play in Paris simply because he is such a good putter of the ball. For example this is definitely a down year for him and yet he is still in the top 15 players for strokes gained putting on the PGA Tour. The Ryder cup usually comes down to whichever side putts the best so if Furyk does select Harman, we can see the method to his madness somewhat.

Zach Johnson

Admittedly Johnson is an outside shot at getting selected, but Furyk may call on Zach due to his huge experience in the Ryder Cup. But if not do not be surprised t see him in France anyway as a vice-captain.

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Sam Tremlett
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A golfer for most of his life, Sam is a Senior Staff Writer for Golf Monthly. 

Working with golf gear and equipment over the last six years, Sam has quickly built outstanding knowledge and expertise on golf products ranging from drivers, to balls, to shoes. 

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Sam's What's In The Bag: 

Driver: Titleist TS3 (9 degrees) 

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