Cup's fringe candidates keep their fingers crossed
Justin Leonard is among a large group hoping for one of two at-large spots on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
By BOB HARIG
Published August 16, 2004
HAVEN, Wis. - Justin Leonard is known for making one of the most famous putts in Ryder Cup history, a 45-footer that traveled across the green and into the hole to clinch the Cup in 1999 for the United States.
But on Sunday, with a 12-footer on the 18th green at Whistling Straits to win the PGA Championship and clinch a spot on the U.S. team, Leonard saw the ball roll by the edge of the hole.
He then lost a playoff to Vijay Singh and didn't even get a spot on the U.S. team as consolation.
A win was Leonard's only way to assure himself of a spot. At least Florida grad Chris DiMarco, who also lost in the three-hole aggregate playoff, knows for sure he is on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
"I would love to be picked, but I'm not going to be disappointed if I don't get picked because I know the criteria for making the team," said Leonard, who is 0-3-5 in the Ryder Cup.
The tournament within a tournament had quite a bit of drama. The PGA Championship was the last chance for players to earn points toward making the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
And with a final-round flurry, DiMarco and Chris Riley, who tied with Ernie Els for fourth, played their way onto the team, bumping off Steve Flesch and Jay Haas. Now Leonard, Flesch, Haas, Jerry Kelly, Stewart Cink, Jeff Maggert and Scott Verplank await captain Hal Sutton's two at-large selections, to be announced this morning at a Milwaukee news conference. Flesch and Haas entered the tournament with the last two automatic spots. Both entered the final round with a chance to move into the top 10 of the tournament and earn points. But Flesch shot 76 and Haas 77 to tie for 37th. "I didn't put up the number I needed to," said Haas, 50, who would have become the oldest player in Ryder Cup history to earn a spot on the team. "It was in my hands and I didn't pull through."
Haas believes he has a chance to be chosen by Sutton.
"Consistency is a part of my bag. I get along with the guys. Everybody brings something. It's in Hal's hands now," Haas said. "I've played well, but a lot of guys have played well, too. I expected that I needed to play well this week. I didn't expect to hold my position. I expected guys to pass me."
Flesch has never played on a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup team.
"That's why I think I needed to earn it," Flesch said. "I have no Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup experience. If I was captain, I would weigh that. He's not going to read this until tomorrow, right? It's going to be a long night. It was up to me. I had my chances."
Funk left it up to the others. He entered last week eighth in the standings, but missed the cut. So did Jerry Kelly, who was 11th but dropped to 13th. Cink was unable to pick up any points with a tie for 17th. (Maggert skipped the tournament because of the birth of twins last week.) And Verplank, who was a captain's pick for the last Ryder Cup, tied for 62nd, in part because of an injured ankle that hampered him on the weekend.
Asked if he was worthy of being picked, Verplank left no doubt.
"Hell, yeah, I'm worthy. I know me pretty good," Verplank said. "And I wouldn't hesitate to pick me. I just hope one week doesn't change the way the captain thinks about the last two years."
