J.B. Holmes (17th): Factored heavily last week until his final-round collapse, which may or may not diminish Azinger's desire to have a 320-yard bomber on his roster for best-ball purposes. Let's not forget Holmes' superb performance against Tiger Woods in the first round of this year's WGC-Accenture Match Play, where he lost in heartbreaking style. Two career wins (both FBR Opens) don't hurt his case, and the native Kentuckian would help raise the gallery volume at Valhalla, site of this year's matches. The hunch here is that Holmes has a pretty good shot. One more high finish could seal his deal.
David Toms (38th): Out of nowhere, his respectable T-15 at the PGA came with a sense of timing. On several underachieving U.S. teams, Toms has been one of the steadier performers, but amazingly, last week was his best finish in 16 starts this year. The captain might really have to talk himself into this one. "The advantage of being able to wait three more weeks is the ability to identify someone you wouldn't normally think of," Azinger says. "I've got my eyes open to anything right now."
Davis Love III (64th): Another blast from the past, even if the past is at half-mast. The idea that Love might even be considered for a captain's selection speaks to the lack of depth on the U.S. side. With so many younger players slow to take the next step, Azinger has little choice but to ponder guys who have been there and done that. Love has one win in the last five years. In 16 starts in '08, his best showing is a T-19, so he's a noncandidate on paper. The longer you look at Azinger's options, however, the more you begin to realize that no idea is too silly.
Headshots courtesy of PGA Tour
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