Strange And Couples Designated Perfect Pair For Ryder Cup Roster

Reaching for what he called “major championship experience,” Ryder Cup captain Lanny Wadkins announced Monday morning at Riviera Country Club that Fred Couples and Curtis Strange would fill out America’s 12-man side.

The U.S. team will play a European contingent Sept. 22-24 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.

The addition of Couples and Strange brought a combined seven Ryder Cup competitions to a team previously lacking experience in the international event. Of the 10 automatic qualifiers, only five - Corey Pavin, Davis Love III, Jay Haas, Ben Crenshaw and Peter Jacobsen - have played in a previous Ryder Cup match.

“This team was short on Ryder Cup experience,” Wadkins said. “(On Sunday) I lost two or three Ryder Cups in (Mark Calcavecchia) and gained no Ryder Cup experience with either (Brad) Faxon or (Jeff) Maggert. I liked the idea that (Couples and Strange) have played and been forces in the Ryder Cup and have played very, very important shots in Ryder Cup matches.”