Ryan Moore selected as final wild card for Team USA – Ryder Cup

United States captain Davis Love named Ryan Moore as his final Ryder Cup wild card last night, three hours after Moore lost in a play-off for the Tour Championship.

Moore had been considered an outsider for the wild card until his performance in Atlanta, when he carded a closing 64 to get into a play-off with Rory McIlroy and Kevin Chappell, who was eliminated at the first extra hole.

McIlroy eventually sealed the win and overall FedEx Cup title with a birdie at the fourth hole of sudden death, but Moore’s performance was enough to seal his place at Hazeltine, even though he had turned down an invitation from Love to practice at the venue on Monday.

The decision means there is no place on the home team for world number seven Bubba Watson, who wrote on Twitter: “Congrats to @ryanmoorepga & all the guys who made @RyderCupUSA team #GoUSA.”

Eight players qualified for the team automatically, with Love then naming Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar and JB Holmes as his first three wild cards on September 12.

The final selection was kept until after the Tour Championship to avoid the sort of situation which occurred in 2014, when Billy Horschel won the BMW Championship and Tour Championship to claim the overall FedEx Cup title, but only after Tom Watson’s team for Gleneagles had been finalised.

“Ryan fits so well with what we have in place,” Love said. “He’s an easy-going, thoughtful guy, but don’t be fooled, Ryan’s a great match-play player with an incredible match-play record.

“He has guts and determination and everyone saw that (on Sunday). We are thrilled to have him with us.”

Moore won the US Amateur title in 2004 and has represented the United States in the Walker Cup, Palmer Cup and the World Amateur Team Championship.

He becomes the second rookie on the US team after Brooks Koepka, while Europe have six players making their debut in the biennial contest.

Here’s how Team USA looks:

Dustin Johnson
Jordan Spieth
Phil Mickelson
Patrick Reed
Jimmy Walker
Brooks Koepka
Brandt Snedeker
Zach Johnson
Rickie Fowler
J.B. Holmes
Matt Kutcher
Ryan Moore
Captain: Davis Love III

Vice-captains: Jim Fyurk, Tom Lehman, Steve Stricker, Tiger Woods