Stricker confirms final US Ryder Cup selections

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Xander Schauffele of the US

Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and three-time Major winner Jordan Spieth were named in the US Ryder Cup team, but there was no place for Patrick Reed as captain Steve Stricker completed his lineup on Wednesday.

Schauffele and Spieth were joined by Daniel Berger, Harris English, Tony Finau and Scottie Scheffler as Stricker confirmed his final selections for the 24-26 September clash with Europe at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

Schauffele (27) will be the first Olympic gold medallist to represent America in the Ryder Cup. It follows an impressive showing in the 2019 Presidents Cup, when he helped the US clinch a comeback victory over Australia.

Reed lost only one of nine matches across his first two Ryder Cups, winning seven points and earning the nickname ‘Captain America’. But he struggled in the US defeat in Paris in 2018, mustering just one point, and has only recently recovered from bilateral pneumonia, saying he was “battling for his life”.

Berger, English and Scheffler will be making their first appearances in the biennial team tournament, while Finau returns for the second time fresh off a win at the Northern Trust last month.

Berger played for Stricker at the 2017 Presidents Cup and heads into the Ryder Cup after a season that included top-10 finishes at the US Open and British Open.

Spieth, meanwhile, will be playing in his fourth consecutive Ryder Cup, the longest current streak among the American contingent. The 28-year-old has returned to form this season and has an impressive Ryder Cup fourballs record of five wins and only one loss.

Photo: EPA/Tannen Maury