In race for Ryder Cup spots, ripples on both sides of the pond

From Paramus, N.J. — 

They played the Barclays here Sunday, the first of the four FedEx Cup playoff events. But there was much focus on golf’s next big thing, the Ryder Cup.

There were developments, all expected to have a significant impact on the Oct. 1-3 competition in Newport, Wales, between the United States and Europe.

First, Tiger Woods shot a final-round 67 here and probably eliminated any doubt that U.S. Captain Corey Pavin would put him on the team. Pavin has four picks to round out the team of 12, will announce them Sept. 7 and certainly got enough juice from Woods on Sunday to answer any critics.

“I’m very pleased,” Woods said of his performance. “I actually hit the ball better yesterday but putted better today. People forget. You have to putt.”

Europe Captain Colin Montgomerie announced his three picks Sunday — he has three, Pavin has four — while several of the candidates were on the Ridgewood Country Club course. They included Luke Donald of England, who birdied the first six holes, heard about his pick about then, shot a 28 on the front nine and disintegrated to a 40 on the back.

“Not sure if Colin was watching,” Donald said.

Also chosen was Edoardo Molinari, the older of the Italian brothers who have rapidly moved up the world golf rankings. He made it, but not without considerable dramatics across the pond in Scotland.

Brother Francesco, 27, had already made the team. He was playing with Edoardo, 29, in the final foursome of the Johnnie Walker Championship on the European Tour at Gleneagles in Scotland. Edoardo’s only chance for a nod from Montgomerie was to win the tournament. With three holes to go, he trailed the leader in the clubhouse by two. Then he birdied Nos. 16 and 17.

On the 18th, a par five, Edoardo was a short wedge away in two, but Francesco was off to the left in high rough and ended up leaving his brother to cool his heels while he checked his lie and decided on whether a penalty drop was his best choice. After about 10 minutes, Edoardo finally got to hit perhaps the most important shot of his life. He got it to 18 inches, made the birdie putt — his third in a row — and an hour or so later, Montgomerie put him on the Ryder Cup team.

Montgomerie’s third pick was Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, who entered the final day of the Barclays in contention at five under par but faded at about the time the Ryder Cup news got to him and finished with a 75 and at one under overall. Harrington, of course, has won three major titles, so Sunday’s round probably meant little.

Harrington got the news from his wife, who got a text message.

“I couldn’t do anything right for about five or six holes after that,” he said.

Making it awkward was that he was playing in a pairing with Paul Casey, who also was a top contender. Casey said he saw Caroline Harrington giving her husband’s caddie the thumbs up on the seventh hole.

“Caroline’s a great friend,” said Casey, who said the rest of his round was difficult. “She would have said something to me if I’d been picked.”

In addition to his picks of Edoardo Molinari, Donald and Harrington, Montgomerie’s team will include Lee Westwood, Ross Fisher, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Francesco Molinari, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson.

Jimenez had to finish ninth at Gleneagles to get an automatic spot and shared third. Hanson had to finish 43rd and tied for 19th. German Kaymer won the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, and Northern Ireland’s McDowell won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Pavin’s 12-man U.S. team already includes the eight automatic qualifiers. They are Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Hunter Mahan, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Jeff Overton and Matt Kuchar. If you pencil in Woods, that may narrow Pavin’s selection pool to Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner; Lucas Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open winner; Stewart Cink, the 2009 British Open champion; Sean O’ Hair; Rickie Fowler; and Anthony Kim.

Kuchar won the Barclays in a playoff.

Cink shot a 69 on Sunday for a six-under finish; Johnson a 70 for five under; O’Hair a 70 for three under; and Fowler a 74 for two under. Glover and Kim didn’t make the cut.

Whether any of that matters is not clear. Nor is Pavin’s strategy or criteria.

One thing is clear. Pavin has already one-upped Montgomerie in the category of inspirational, loosey-goosey assistant. Montgomerie announced Sunday that he had added Sergio Garcia as a fourth assistant captain because of the spirit Garcia brings to the occasion. Months ago, Pavin picked Mr. Long Beach, Paul Goydos, in a similar capacity.

When it comes to one-liners and keeping things loose, Goydos has already given the U.S. a 1-0 lead.

bill.dwyre@latimes.com