Faxon’s 63 Nets Ryder Cup Berth

Brad Faxon, with one of the greatest rounds in the history of major championship golf, played his way onto the U.S. Ryder Cup team Sunday.

Faxon’s 63, which tied the lowest score ever in a major and included a 28 on the front nine, lifted him into fifth place in the PGA Championship and gave him enough points to move from 14th to 10th in the Ryder Cup standings.

The top 10 on the points list automatically make the team that will face a squad from Europe at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. next month. Captain Lanny Wadkins will name two players today to fill out the team.

Jeff Maggert, who shot a final-round 69 at Riviera Country Club, finished tied for third with Ernie Els in the tournament and gained enough points to move from 12th to sixth and make the team.

Losing out were Mark Calcavecchia, who missed the cut and slipped from ninth to 11th, and Kenny Perry, who scored no points in the PGA and dropped from 10th to 12th.

“My stomach is in knots,” Faxon said as he waited to find out if he got enough points. “On the course people were starting to yell ‘Ryder Cup,’ people were starting to yell ‘59,’ people were starting to yell ‘win.’ “

Faxon’s 63 was not good enough to win the PGA, but it did get him to Rochester.

The final standings in the two-year competition for the Ryder Cup team has U.S. Open champion Corey Pavin on top followed by Tom Lehman, Davis Love and Phil Mickelson. All four of them missed the cut in the PGA Championship.

Jay Haas is fifth, followed by Maggert, Loren Roberts, Ben Crenshaw, Peter Jaconsen and Faxon.

Wadkins now has to fill out the team with two captain’s choices.