Chad Campbell lingered in the parking lot of a Dallas hospital as his wife waited inside to get the latest report on their first child, due to be born this week.
He wanted a clear signal on his cellphone to hear the good news: Campbell is going to the Ryder Cup.
Paul Azinger completed his US team on Tuesday with captain’s picks, adding Campbell, Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan and J.B. Holmes to a team that will have six Ryder Cup rookies and no Tiger Woods.
“I think that we have rounded off this team with the best possible players at this time,” Azinger said.
Stricker was at the top of his list all along, the No. 8 player in the world ranking and among the best putters in golf who would have qualified for the team if the points counted over the last two weeks.
Azinger also favored Holmes, a big basher off the tee from Kentucky who is sure to get local support when the Ryder Cup is played from Sept. 19 to Sept. 21 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. Mahan opened his eyes with a 62 at Ridgewood Country Club in the first round of the Barclays.
The final piece was Campbell, who played on the last two Ryder Cup teams but was barely mentioned as speculation increased over the last few weeks. He made one last impression by finishing 69-66 at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
“I knew I was on the outside looking in, but I felt like I played pretty well over the last couple months, other than a couple of tournaments,” Campbell said. “I was just hoping that he saw that. I feel like I’m playing as well as I ever have right now. I’m honored to be picked.”
The final choice was between Campbell and Scott Verplank, who was 33rd in the Ryder Cup standings but is a rarity among Americans with a winning record this decade. Verplank is 4-1 in his two Ryder Cups, beating Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington in singles, while playing on teams beaten by a combined 12 points.
Also bypassed were Woody Austin, who finished at No. 10 in the standings; Rocco Mediate, who lost a 19-hole playoff to Woods in the US Open; PODS Championship winner Sean O’Hair, Bob Hope Classic winner D.J. Trahan and Brandt Snedeker.
“It’s hard for me to justify why the guys didn’t make the team,” Azinger said.
“I can just tell you why I picked the guys that I did pick. There’s a lot of guys that deserve to be on this team, and there’s a lot of guys that were really close to making it,” he said.
The eight players who qualified were Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Ben Curtis and Boo Weekley. Along with the four picks, they face a big chore.
The US has not won the Ryder Cup since 1999. Europe has captured the cup eight of the last 11 times dating to 1985.
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