Solid hits by Azinger in Ryder picks

Solid hits by Azinger in Ryder picks

For a guy who professes such an affinity for high-stakes poker, Paul Azinger didn’t provide much of a bluff when it came to his four captain’s picks for the upcoming Ryder Cup at Valhalla CC in Louisville, Ky. When he announced the names yesterday in New York, three of them – Steve Stricker, J.B. Holmes, and Hunter Mahan – were no surprise, and the fourth – Chad Campbell – was only a mild one.
But Azinger let it be known that he had assumed the duties of US captain not to provide surprises but to put a halt to a stretch of embarrassing results in the biennial competition against Europe. Having won 24 of the first 30 competitions, the Americans have lost three straight and five of six, so Azinger is feeling pressure to reverse the slide. His picks round out a 12-man team that he thinks can do that.

“I think it’s a nice mix, a bunch of guys that will get along,” said Azinger. “I like the mix.”

boston.com
9/3/08