MEDINAH, Ill. – Saying he wanted a team of “tough, strong guys that will never give up,” Tom Lehman yesterday added Scott Verplank and Stewart Cink to the U.S. Ryder Cup team that will face the Europeans at the K Club near Dublin, Ireland, next month.
Both will add some muchneeded experience to an American team that will feature four rookies. Cink was a captain’s choice by Hal Sutton for the 2004 Ryder Cup Matches at Oakland Hills near Detroit, where the Europeans rolled to an easy win, 18 ½ to 9 1/2. Verplank likewise will be making his second Ryder Cup appearance. He was a captain’s pick by Curtis Strange for the 2002 Ryder Cup at The Belfry in England where Europe won, 15 ½ to 12 1/2. The last time the Americans won the Matches was in 1999 at Brookline. The Europeans have won four of the last five meetings.
In choosing Cink and Verplank, Lehman sidelined Davis Love III, who has played in every Ryder Cup since 1993.
“The fact that I didn’t pick Davis Love is going to hurt a lot of guys because they like him so much,” Lehman said. “The flipside is that I think we picked two players who are playing extremely well and who are going to provide our team with what we need, and I think all the guys understand that and agree with that.” Cink finished 12th in the final points standings, where the top 10 automatically qualified for the team. Verplank was a distant 20th behind Ryder Cup veterans Love (15th), Fred Couples (16th) and even Lehman, who was 19th.
“One of the things that I think our team needs is somebody who can really putt and really can chip, who can drive the ball, put it in the fairway, who is a tough, tough, tough competitor, who will never quit, never give up.
And for those reasons, I picked Scott Verplank,” Lehman said.
The 10 automatic qualifiers are veterans Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, David Toms, Chad Campbell, Chris DiMarco and rookies Vaughn Taylor, J.J. Henry, Zach Johnson and Brett Wetterich.
Among those eager to reclaim the Cup is Woods, who captured his 12th major championship on Sunday by winning the PGA Championship at Medinah by five strokes.
He will be counted on to be more of a leader on a revamped U.S. Team.
“I’m excited. We’re excited to go over and play,” Woods said. “We haven’t won in a while. Hopefully, we can get the job done this time.
I’ve played The K Club a number of times, being over there right before the British (Open), fishing and playing golf. If they set it up like they did at the European Open last year, it’ll be a pretty tough set-up.” The European team captained by Ian Woosnam will be finalized in two weeks.
