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There have been 23 players picked for the 24-golfer Ryder Cup, which will unfold in two weeks at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota.

The European side is set. The United States has 11 of its 12 golfers after captain Davis Love III selected Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler and J.B. Holmes with three of his four captain's picks on Monday.

The final captain's pick will come on "Sunday Night Football" the night of Sept. 25. This is also the final day of the Tour Championship, which will conclude the 2015-16 PGA Tour season. So who are the candidates Love will be considering? First, we need to look at who is already on the team.

  • Dustin Johnson
  • Jordan Spieth
  • Zach Johnson
  • Patrick Reed
  • Jimmy Walker
  • Phil Mickelson
  • Brooks Koepka
  • Brandt Snedeker
  • Rickie Fowler
  • Matt Kuchar
  • J.B. Holmes

That list includes 10 veterans and one rookie. To contrast that, the Europeans have six veterans (defined as playing in at least one Ryder Cup) and six rookies. You would think the U.S. side would lean on a young, hungry rookie to round out its squad, but here's what Love had to say on Monday when he made his picks.

"I've been saying all along, we're a sports team and we have to draft the right player for the right position," said Love. "There's going to be a lot of stats and a lot of things to look at, but making our pairings, fitting in with the team, doing all the little things that you asked to do. These three guys filled incredible roles, a lot of different roles. [These captain's picks] added a lot statistically, emotionally, leadership, for a lot of reasons, and so the next guy is going to have to step up and fill a role as well."

There is clearly going to be a lot that goes into it. I believe Love is selecting from a pool of just five players. Some have suggested names like Kevin Na, Ryan Moore and Scott Piercey (all high on the Ryder Cup points list), but I don't believe Love will select anyone outside of the group I'm about to mention. Let's take a look.

1. Justin Thomas: Yeah, Justin Thomas. I said it. Here's the thing about Thomas: He's the future of American golf along with guys like Spieth, Koepka, Fowler and Reed. These guys are next up in a long string that has made up the most elite golfing country over the past century. That's a big deal, and with just one rookie on the team, you can afford to take a bit of a chance on another one.

Yes, Thomas is barely ranked in the top 25 on the Ryder Cup points list, but he's in the top 15 in FedEx Cup points (mostly because his win last fall counted towards the FedEx Cup points race but not towards Ryder Cup points). Plus, he's friendly with Love and even helped recruit Love's son, Dru, to Alabama.

It also became clear early in the year that Thomas was obsessed with playing in this year's Ryder Cup, even above winning a major championship. He might not be the best statistical case, but when you combine his friendship with Spieth, Fowler and others with his clear desire to spew champagne all over Minnesota in early October, Love could certainly make worse choices. If he plays the Tour Championship well, I think he gets on the team.

2. Daniel Berger: All the stuff I wrote about Thomas applies to Berger as well. He's a bad-ass. He's not scared of anybody. And Berger probably has a bit of a stronger statistical case than Thomas. Berger finished No. 16 in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, won as recently as June and also made it to East Lake.

It's pretty clear he's been thinking a lot about Hazeltine as well.

"My dad played in the Davis Cup, which is tennis' equivalent of the Ryder Cup, so I think that would be pretty cool to have father and son play Davis Cup and Ryder Cup," said Berger earlier this year. "So that's one of my goals. But if it's not this year then I'll look toward the next one, but I know I'll be great in that environment and I'll be tough to beat whoever Mr. Clarke put up against me."

I think Love would really like to put one of these two player on the team if only to add some youth at an event where young studs reign. (Just ask Justin Ray.)


"There's a lot to look at," said Love a few weeks ago. "Obviously, generically, you look at The European Team, they need experience. You look at our team, we can pick more rookies; we have a lot of experience. But there's a lot that goes into it."

3. Bubba Watson: I mostly agree with what Shane Ryan wrote here about the fact that the Bubba Watson ship has sailed. Watson wasn't a captain's pick on Monday even though he's No. 7 in the world, has only missed one cut on the season and finished No. 9 in the Ryder Cup points race (one spot out of the eight automatic qualifiers).

In fact, you could make the case that Watson missed making the team by about five strokes. Watson missed making the team by 150 points which equates to $75,000 in major earnings (it's complicated). If you go back and look at where he finished, a five-stroke swing at any of the four majors, and Watson is probably in.

That's crazy. It's going to be crazier if Watson is left off.

But I think the team chemistry is a real thing, and Love's quotes when asked about Watson as a potential pick on Monday are not encouraging if you're in his camp.

"I'm going to talk to these 11 guys now that we have 11," said Love of the final pick . "We've got a game plan, a strategy, and we're going to work on that the next two weeks and announce our pick next Sunday night based on what fits best for our team, not really who shoots the lowest scores in the last tournament."

You can argue whether it's fair that Watson is or is not compatible with the rest of the U.S. team, but it's pretty curious that Love didn't pick him already, is it not? It would be insane to leave off the No. 7 player in the world, but it really looks like that's where we're headed. Also, his Ryder Cup stats have not been super encouraging, and Watson (probably self-admittedly) doesn't always have the steeliest attitude on the course. That matters when you're trying to win an event you haven't won in eight years.

4. Jim Furyk: Old dogs, new tricks and such. Love has talked over and over again about how much he's been considering Furyk (who doubles as a vice captain). I think the Tour Championship is a bit of a tryout for Thomas and Berger, but if they don't play well, it will be Furyk or Watson.

This would be pretty disappointing. The Ryder Cup task force was set up and all this hubbub was made about not letting a Ryder Cup meltdown happen again, and then you go out and basically run it back with the same old cast of characters? Look, I like Furyk as a person and as a golfer. I think he's underrated and a great dude, but I don't want Love to pick him for this team. And you'd have a hard time making any case other than, "Well, I just trust the guy ... that's why I'm picking him."

My case is this: Who do you think Sergio Garcia would rather wake up on Sunday morning and face? Furyk or Thomas? Furyk or Berger? It's not even close in my mind, but I'm afraid Love sees it differently.

5. Tiger Woods: Hear me out. The question is not "why?" It's "why not?" There has been some real behind-the-scenes buzz about Big Cat as a pick. Matt Kuchar joked about it (I think?) on Monday, but this is a real thing. Will it happen? No. Should it happen? Probably not. But can you imagine the way the U.S. team would be lifted by riding the "Tiger's back, we got Tiger!" wave?

You think that wouldn't matter to guys like Spieth, Fowler, Koepka and Reed? Tiger is (apparently) playing the Safeway Open, which means he's feeling pretty good. I know he hasn't played in a year, but you only have to roll him out there for two matches (one singles). It could go badly, and I don't think it's a risk Love will take, plus Woods will be there already as a vice captain. But I do think it's more of a real possibility than Scott Piercy.

So those are your five. I would be stunned if Love picked somebody outside of those five. Depending how the Tour Championship goes, I think it will be Thomas or Berger. If not, then Furyk or Watson. If Love loses his mind and decides to captain the team in an American flag onesie, then it could be Tiger. Who knows.

My pick and who I think Love picks are ultimately the same: Thomas.