What Does Bubba's Ryder Cup Omission Say?

With Davis Love using his first three picks on J.B. Holmes, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar (Steve DiMeglio's story here), it's hard to not wonder where this leaves Bubba Watson.

As the 7th ranked player and highest Ryder Cup points earner not to automatically qualify, Bubba looks headed for the sidelines in favor of a younger player with less baggage?

You voted the way I thought things would go Monday (Thank you!), with Kuchar and Holmes the easiest picks and Bubba edging Rickie.


After hearing Captain Love's comments and seeing the less-deserving Fowler already named Monday, I'd say Bubba will not be heading to Hazeltine.

From Alex Miceli's Golfweek.com story from Minneapolis where he got a sense of the room vibe (and that Jim Furyk is still very much in the hunt).

Love went on to explain that if you watched the BMW Championship on Sunday you would see he’s hitting good putts they’re just lipping out.

“His strokes gained tee to green have just been solid for a while and you saw it at Bethpage, except for that last nine, which is driving, it wasn’t putting,” Love said in support of his Fowler pick. “He’s just solid. And we’re making a team of 11 guys for this year we’re not really looking at the past.”

Oddly, Bubba Watson is ranked fifth in SG: Tee-to-Green with Fowler eighth.

Of course, Bubba could play his way on to the team because he's playing the Tour Championship while Fowler was not eligible. Perhaps Love is just waiting to let Bubba have a great week there and playing his way into the last pick in the fashion, just as the task force envisioned things. We discussed this, the Mickelson comments and the possibility of a Furyk pick today on Morning Drive.

Still, I can't get past the idea that Bubba has been ahead of Fowler all year, is statistically better in many key categories and does have a tour win in 2016, yet feels like an odd-man-out.

Perhaps Furyk is back in the picture, or maybe Love's well known affinity for Justin Thomas has him leading that way. Though if Bubba is passed up, we may be looking at one of the more historic Ryder Cup omissions of all time.