golfrewind.com

Less than a month to go till the Ryder Cup and these are the current points standings. What do you think?

Team USA
1. Tiger Woods, 3,775
2. Phil Mickelson, 2,474.375
3. Jim Furyk, 1,896
4. Chad Campbell, 1,129.602
5. David Toms, 1,072.250
6. Chris DiMarco, 830
7. J.J. Henry, 778.750
8. Zach Johnson, 756.477
9. Brett Wetterich, 746
10. John Rollins, 685
11. Vaughn Taylor, 660.833
12. Jerry Kelly, 653
13. Lucas Glover, 641.376
14. Davis Love III, 631.875
15. Fred Couples, 627.727

Team Europe
World Points List
1. David Howell, 207.27
2. Colin Montgomerie, 205.90
3. José Maria Olazabal, 202.09
4. Henrik Stenson, 201.76
5. Luke Donald, 192.25
6. Sergio Garcia, 187.96
7. Paul Casey, 165.33
8. Padraig Harrington, 154.46
9. Carl Petterson, 154.12
10. Robert Karlsson, 137.06

European Ryder Cup List
1. Colin Montgomerie, 2,413,016.11
2. David Howell, 2,274,635.98
3. Henrik Stenson, 1,782,888.71
4. Paul Casey, 1,721,833.85
5. Robert Karlsson, 1,692,811.77
6. Sergio Garcia, 1,634,091.27
7. Padraig Harrington, 1,514,027.44
8. Paul McGinley, 1,455,992.24
9. José Maria Olazabal, 1,381,698.05
10. Paul Broadhurst, 1,336,905.57


Team Europe uses both of these lists to fill out their team. The World Points List is based on world rankings points earned in tournaments, and its designed to make sure Europeans who play predominantly in America aren't penalized.

Couples needed for leadership for one.....then maybe Cink or LoveIII.

Kelly said he is taking a few weeks off, not going to make a run for the points. Told Cpt Tom about his intentions. He also said that he tried that route in past years and he burned himself out. He hopes to make the team as a Cpt selection.

Kelly is a stand up guy and i dont doubt he may need time off. Maybe this will hurt him but if he needs time off then i believe him 100%. He would be a credit to the USA team.

I am afraid Lehman might be inclined to go with DL III and Couples. Neither one has been on form this summer, but I don't know who else he would consider.

I don't have a good feeling about this team.

I think after winning 7 of 11 we can stop calling the Euros the underdogs.

I don't know...Couples might be an alright choice this year, but DL III seems like a bad choice to me. Why I say that, I don't know...Kind of a gut feeling more than anything. As for Jerry Kelly, doesn't he have some kind of lingering shoulder and knee injuries?

Tom Lehman was asked recently about that and his reply was that, he has some difficulty in calling a guy like Tiger Woods and underdog

Until you talk to Kelly and Lehman or provide a link i think your just a little off base with Kelly and presuming things. I dont think Jerry is having the nonchalant attitude about it as you seem to be suggesting. Thats a big presumption on your part unless of course you have solid info to back that up. Im not at all trying to give you any hassle on here by any means either i just think so highly of Kelly as a player and a man that there has to be a bit more to the story than what you may be suggesting is all.

I agree and i presume theres more to the story about Kelly. He would probably crawl to Ireland.

There was an acticle in the local paper on Monday, just after the weekends tourny here. He said he was playing alot of golf lately and needed some time off. He believes his next outing will be the PGA. He does have a shoulder problem and it needs to rest.
He really wants to make the team, but the last couple of times when he was playing for it, he overplayed, and ******* himself up. With his injury and too much palying recently he needs to take off, and hoped that Lehman would understand.

That makes sense. He would be good for the team if he made it.With all the young guys presumably making it i think COUPLES is a lock.....Kelly,Cink and LoveIII wouldnt be bad choices....although Kelly's inexperience could hurt him with all the young guys on the team or i should say rookies. If Lehman doesnt pick Couples ill buy everyone on here a milkshake.

Okay this is part of the article.......

Give him a break:Jerry Kelly of Madison moved up to No. 12 on the U.S. Ryder Cup points list by virtue of his second-place finish. The team is to be determined in three weeks. Yet he won't play again until the PGA Championship, Aug. 17-20.

Kelly said he hadn't taken off two consecutive weeks all year and needed a break before the PGA, even if it means he won't have a chance to earn Ryder Cup points at the Buick Open and The International.

"I chased these teams in the past. I've chased them every year and I haven't made them," said Kelly, who has played on one Presidents Cup team but has never made a Ryder Cup team.

"I don't think it's best for me to chase it. It's best for me to do what's best for me. The best chance for me . . . is to take two weeks off and to win the PGA."

Kelly said U.S. captain Tom Lehman, who gets two at-large picks in addition to the 10 who automatically make the team, understood Kelly's position.

"These next two weeks are going to be extremely beneficial to me in making that team," he said. "I'm doing the best thing I can rather than the best thing I think the captain thinks I should do, which I've done in the past."

Perfect hes trying to make the team the best way he thinks he can. I have no problem with that at all. I wont question him and i wish him luck.

Oh, great...Now for the first time I can remember I'm gonna be rooting against Fred Couples. Not really, but if it does happen, I want a chocolate.

European team as it stands:

David Howell
Colin Montgomerie
Jose Maria Olazabal
Henrik Stenson (no great shakes recently)
Luke Donald
Robert Karlsson (the man in form)
Paul Casey
Sergio Garcia
Padraig Harrington
Paul McGinley

seven of those played in the last Cup, and of course Olazabal has previous experience. Woosnam will be worried about Stenson who locked his place ages ago and seems to be staggering towards the K Club. The wild card picks could be interesting, with Carl Petterson, Jimenez, Poulter, Westwood, Bjorn, Broadhurst etc all in the frame.

The team as it stands stacks up nicely against the US team, which is quite top heavy, but maybe not so deep?