2021 Ryder Cup teams: Full rosters for Whistling Straits

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Webb Simpson navigated his way through a few mistakes but not too much stress to win THE PLAYERS Championship on Sunday. Staked to a seven-shot lead, no one got closer than four shots of Simpson, even after a double bogey on the 18th hole when his only concern was finishing the hole. He closed with a 1-over 73 for a four-shot victory and his biggest win since the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club. Tiger Woods made another big run. So did Jason Dufner, Jimmy Walker and Danny Lee. None could do enough to catch Simpson during record scoring in the final Players Championship in May. Justin Thomas shot a 66 and tied for 11th, which was more than enough to move to No. 1 in the world.

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Sean O’Hair/Steve Stricker Sean O’Hair and Steve Stricker birdied seven of their first eight holes en route to a 15-under 57. On the inward nine, the duo made birdies at Nos. 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 and 18. The team made eagle at the par-5 17th and Stricker chipped in from just off the green for the final birdie at the par-4 18th hole. O’Hair is making his seventh appearance in the QBE Shootout, having won with Kenny Perry in 2012. Stricker is playing for a 10th consecutive time and was a part of the 2009 winning team with Jerry Kelly. Stricker and Kelly finished second in last year’s QBE Shootout. O’Hair, a 4-time winner on the PGA TOUR, collected four top-10 finishes in the 2016-17 PGA TOUR Season. In his only 2017-18 start, he missed the cut at The RSM Classic. Stricker claimed six top-25 finishes in 13 starts in the 2016-17 season. With a 16-under 56 in round one last year, Stricker and Jerry Kelly led by a stroke over Harris English and Matt Kuchar. The first-round lead/co-lead at the QBE Shootout has held up 14 times. The last 18-hole leaders/co-leaders to hold on for the win was Jason Day and Cameron Tringale in 2014. Keegan Bradley/Brendan Steele 2011 QBE Shootout champions Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele played their first eight holes in eight under, highlighted by an eagle-three at the first hole. On the inward nine, the pair birdied Nos. 11 and 13-17, good for a 14-under 58. Bradley and Steele have each won three events on the PGA TOUR. Most recently, Steele successfully defended his title at the Safeway Open in the 2017-18 PGA TOUR Season’s first event. Bradley is making his fourth start in the QBE Shootout, while Steele is making his third start in Naples. Matt Kuchar/Harris English 2013 and 2016 QBE Shootout champions Harris English and Matt Kuchar opened with a 9-under 63 in round one’s Scramble format. After round one last year, the pair was a stroke off the lead at 15-under 57. Since 2013, when the two first played together, their highest score was a 5-under 67 in round two of 2015. In 2013, the team won with a 34-under 182. Last year, they posted a 28-under 188 to beat Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker by a stroke. With a win this week, defending champions Matt Kuchar and Harris English would become the first team to win the QBE Shootout three times (2013, 2016). Miscellaneous Notes Founded by World Golf Hal of Fame Member Greg Norman in 1989, this week’s QBE Shootout marks the 29th playing of the event. Tiburon Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Resort in Naples, Fla. has now been home to the QBE Shootout for 17 consecutive years (2001).     The 2017 event marks the first under the title sponsorship of QBE Insurance Group, an industry leader in general insurance and reinsurance and headquartered in Sydney, Australia. The 12 two-person teams were selected on the following criteria: – Defending champions – The top 12 available players from the 2016-17 FedExCup points list – Ten special exemptions (a minimum of four come from the top 40 on the PGA TOUR career money list) Competitors in the 2017 QBE Shootout have combined for 104 victories (95 on the PGA TOUR and nine by Lexi Thompson on the LPGA Tour). Fifteen of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking are in this week’s QBE Shootout, highlighted by No. 15, Matt Kuchar. Two former FedExCup champions are among the 24-player field: Brandt Snedeker (2012) and Billy Horschel (2014). Paired this year with QBE Shootout rookie Tony Finau, Lexi Thompson is just the second woman to compete in the QBE Shootout. Annika Sorenstam teamed with Fred Couples in 2006. In round one, the team posted a 9-under 63.  The distinction for most individual top-5 finishes in the QBE Shootout (nine) is a three-way tie between tournament founder Greg Norman, Kenny Perry and Mark O’Meara. The team with the most top-five finishes in tournament history is Mark O’Meara and Curtis Strange. The pair collected five such finishes between 1989 and 1996, including a victory in the inaugural Shootout of 1989. There are six players making their first start in the QBE Shootout this week: Tony Finau, Brian Harman, Pat Perez, Russell Henley, Kyle Stanley and Shane Lowry. Eleven players have won the QBE Shootout in their first attempt: Mark O’Meara (1989), Curtis Strange (1989), Fred Couples (1990), Scott McCarron (1997), Hank Kuehne (2003), Rod Pampling (2006), Woody Austin (2007), Keegan Bradley (2011), Brendan Steele (2011), Harris English (2013) and Cameron Tringale (2014). 

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Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – Following Sunday’s conclusion of the TOUR Championship and the FedExCup Playoffs, nominees for PGA TOUR Player of the Year and PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year were finalized by the PGA TOUR Player Directors and members of the Player Advisory Council (PAC). The nominees for the Jack Nicklaus Award as the PGA TOUR Player of the Year are (alphabetically) Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. The nominees for PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year are Wesley Bryan, Patrick Cantlay, Mackenzie Hughes, Grayson Murray and Xander Schauffele. The Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards are determined by a member vote, with PGA TOUR members who played in at least 15 official money events during the 2016-17 season eligible to vote. The voting will close on Monday, October 2, with the winners to be announced that week. Player of the Year nominees Dustin Johnson, 33 Jupiter, Florida (Coastal Carolina University) • Entered 20 events with victories (4) at the Genesis Open, World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play and THE NORTHERN TRUST. • Finished fourth in the FedExCup. • Finished seventh in Adjusted Scoring Average (69.549). • Finished the season with eight top-10 finishes among 17 made cuts. Hideki Matsuyama, 25 Sendai, Japan (Tohoku Fukushi University) • Entered 22 events with victories (3) at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, Waste Management Phoenix Open and World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational • Finished eighth in the FedExCup. • Finished 10th in Adjusted Scoring Average (69.624). • Recorded a total of seven top-10 finishes among 20 made cuts. Jordan Spieth, 24 Dallas, Texas (University of Texas) • Entered 23 events with victories (3) at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Travelers Championship and The Open Championship. • Finished second in the FedExCup. • Finished first in Adjusted Scoring Average (68.846) to earn the Byron Nelson Award. • Recorded 12 top-10 finishes (tied with Justin Thomas for most this season) among 20 made cuts. • Top-10 finishes in all four FedExCup Playoffs events in 2017: THE NORTHERN TRUST (P2), Dell Technologies Championship (2), BMW Championship (T7), TOUR Championship (T7). Justin Thomas, 24 Jupiter, Florida (University of Alabama) • Entered 25 events with victories (5) at the CIMB Classic, Sentry Tournament of Champions, Sony Open in Hawaii, PGA Championship and Dell Technologies Championship. • Winner of the 2017 FedExCup. • Finished first on Official Money List to earn the Arnold Palmer Award with $9,921,560. • Finished third in Adjusted Scoring Average (69.359). • Recorded 12 top-10 finishes (tied with Jordan Spieth for most this season) among 19 made cuts. • Became just the fourth player since 1960 to capture five wins, including a major, in a season before the age of 25 (Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth). Rookie of the Year nominees Wesley Bryan, 27 Augusta, Georgia (University of South Carolina) • Entered 28 events with one victory at the RBC Heritage. • Finished 41st in the FedExCup. • Finished 113th in Adjusted Scoring Average (71.062). • Recorded a total of five top-10 finishes with 19 made cuts. • 2016 graduate of the Web.com Tour. Patrick Cantlay, 25 Jupiter, Florida (UCLA) • Entered 13 events with a season-best runner-up finish at the Valspar Championship. • Finished 29th in the FedExCup. • One of two rookies to qualify for the season-ending TOUR Championship in 2017. • Finished 15th in Adjusted Scoring Average (69.971). • Recorded a total of four top-10 finishes with 13 made cuts. Mackenzie Hughes, 26 Charlotte, North Carolina (Kent State University) • Entered 31 events with one victory at The RSM Classic. • Finished 36th in the FedExCup. • Finished T109th in Adjusted Scoring Average (71.044). • Recorded a total of two top-10 finishes among 22 made cuts. • 2016 graduate of the Web.com Tour. Grayson Murray, 23 Raleigh, North Carolina (Arizona State University) • Entered 30 events with one victory at the Barbacoa Championship. • Finished 66th in the FedExCup. • Finished 114th in Adjusted Scoring Average (71.064). • Recorded a total of two top-10 finishes among 18 made cuts. • 2016 graduate of the Web.com Tour. Xander Schauffele, 23 San Diego, California (San Diego State University) • Entered 28 events with wins (2) at The Greenbrier Classic and TOUR Championship; first-ever rookie to win the TOUR Championship. • Finished third in the FedExCup. • One of two rookies to qualify for the season-ending TOUR Championship in 2017. • Finished 27th in Adjusted Scoring Average (70.163). • Recorded a total of four top-10 finishes among 20 made cuts. • 2016 graduate of the Web.com Tour.  

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