Strange’s Picks Make a Point

Using his two captain’s picks to fill out the U.S. Ryder Cup team, Curtis Strange could have gone for experience or youth or players on hot streaks or long-hitters. Instead, he went the veterans-making-comebacks route Monday, choosing Scott Verplank and Paul Azinger.

Verplank, 37, is diabetic and wears an insulin pump. The 41-year-old Azinger beat lymphoma in his right shoulder.

“It’s not bad to have two guys in the locker room like that,” Strange said.

The choice of Verplank was expected but Azinger’s selection was at least a mild surprise because Strange had indicated he wouldn’t go any deeper than 15th in the Ryder Cup point standings. Azinger was 23rd.

“Maybe I did say that, but I didn’t mean it,” Strange said. “Things changed.”

Azinger said he appreciated Strange’s confidence.

“There’s a lot of good players I was picked ahead of,” he said. “I understand that.

“What’s expected out of me and the reason I was picked was good play.”

Azinger was 22nd in the PGA Championship and fell from 19th place in the standings. Verplank, the first player to be chosen as a captain’s pick without any Ryder Cup experience, was seventh in the PGA and moved to 14th in points.

Strange bypassed two players with Ryder Cup experience, Tom Lehman and Brad Faxon. Strange said leaving Lehman off the team was his most difficult decision.

“Bottom line, he just hasn’t played well enough,” Strange said.

Lehman missed the cut at the PGA.

Strange also bypassed Chris DiMarco, No. 13, citing DiMarco’s lack of experience. DiMarco also had two double bogeys Sunday at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

Verplank learned of his selection when he got off his flight home Sunday night and had a phone message from Strange on his cellular phone. Verplank said he saved the voice mail.

“Curtis, you may be in my voice mail bank forever,” Verplank said.

Born with diabetes, Verplank wears the insulin pump while playing. He sat out most of the 1991 and 1992 seasons because of elbow surgery and had a more serious elbow surgery in 1996.

Azinger learned he had cancer in his right shoulder blade in December 1993. He didn’t play again for almost two years.

Verplank is expected to be strong in the alternate-shot format but said he will do anything Strange asks.

“If he wants me to cheerlead, I’ll cheerlead,” he said. “If he wants me to play five matches, I’ll be ready to go.”

The Ryder Cup will be played at the Belfry in Sutton Coldfield, England--for the fourth time--Sept. 28-30.

In 1993, the last time the matches were played there, the U.S. defeated Europe, 15-13. In the other matches, Europe tied the U.S., 14-14, in 1989 to retain the Ryder Cup and scored a lopsided, 16 1/2-11 1/2 victory in 1985.

The European team won’t be completed for two more weeks, but speculation about which players Sam Torrance might chose with his two captain’s picks revolves around Sergio Garcia and Jesper Parnevik.

Torrance faces difficult choices, what with Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jose Maria Olazabal and Robert Karlsson still on the sideline.

Said Parnevik, who tied for 13th at the PGA: “You never know if you will make the team or not, but I’m hitting the ball better than I have in a few years. Sam has a tough choice. It’s hard to see a Ryder Cup without Olazabal.”

Azinger says the European team will be strong and deep, but so is the U.S.

“We look very good,” he said. “We have a lot of experience. When you have the three best players in the world on your team, you can’t be anything but pleased.”

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Ryder Cup Points

UNITED STATES (Final)

(Notes: Top 10 qualify; x-captain’s pick)

1. Tiger Woods: 2,447.500

2. Phil Mickelson: 1,710.625

3. David Duval: 1,016.666

4. Mark Calcavecchia: 765.375

5. David Toms: 755.000

6. Davis Love III: 749.500

7. Scott Hoch: 657.000

8. Jim Furyk: 647.875

9. Hal Sutton: 613.000

10. Stewart Cink: 586.625

11. Tom Lehman: 543.750

12. Steve Lowery: 542.000

13. Chris DiMarco: 534.000

14. Scott Verplank-x: 508.500

15. Joe Durant: 505.000

Also:

22. Paul Azinger-x: 389.667

EUROPE (Through Aug. 19)

1. Darren Clarke: 1,951,476.74

(Northern Ireland)

2. Thomas Bjorn: 1,627,198.62

(Denmark)

3. Padraig Harrington: 1,573,720.62

(Ireland)

4. Lee Westwood: 1,232,739.96

(England)

5. Pierre Fulke: 1,211,590.82

(Sweden)

6. Colin Montgomerie: 1,196,965.43

(Scotland)

7. Niclas Fasth: 1,013,692.04

(Sweden)

8. Paul McGinley: 1,009,344.01

(Ireland)

9. Bernhard Langer: 944,475.69

(Germany)

10. Phillip Price: 817,584.71

(Wales)

11. Miguel Angel Jimenez: 742,791.69

(Spain)

12. Ian Poulter: 741,578.69

(England)

13. Andrew Coltart: 729,528.42

(Scotland)

14. Andrew Oldcorn: 707,963.42

(Scotland)

15. Mathias Gronberg: 698,179.34

(Sweden)