No Woods or Mickelson In The Ryder Cup?

As captain of Team USA for the 2014 Ryder Cup, Tom Watson is going to be faced with some very difficult decisions. With the current standings for the Ryder Cup team, two of the biggest names in golf would not automatically qualify and need to be selected using a Captain’s pick – Phil Mickelson & Tiger Woods.

Watson has continued to say that no player is exempt from scrutiny. “If Phil and Tiger don’t make it in the mix there, I’ve got some real thinking to do,” said Watson. “Everybody is thinking that I’m going to pick them automatically. I can assure you that I’m not going to pick them automatically.”

Following his worst 72-hole finish in a major, Tiger Woods was asked if he would be inclined to pick him if he were in Watson’s position. His response: “I would say yes.”

For both teams, 9 players automatically qualify based on points. The points are determined through the following:

• Prize money earned in the 2013 major championships. One point is awarded for every $1,000 earned.
• Prize money earned in 2014 PGA Tour events. One point is awarded for every $1,000 earned, excluding major championships.
• Prize money earned in the 2014 major championships. Two points are awarded for every $1,000 earned (all players making the cut will earn points).
• Team captain for each team will make three Captain’s selections to complete the team.

Below are the current Ryder Cup standings for Team USA as of July 21st:

*Source: Ryder Cup

If you were Tom Watson, what would you do? Would you select Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson if they don’t automatically qualify with how they are currently playing?