Rex Hoggard - August 28, 2012

• By Morning Drive Team
• Aug 28, 2012 8:10 AM ET

Padraig Harrington will not be in the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1997 but Harrington said that he was not surprised that Olazabal did not pick him and in fact, no one should have been surprised. He is now looking ahead to earning his place on the 2014 European Ryder Cup team. Hoggard said that Harrington deserves to feel a bit bitter if in fact in his based on what Olazabal said during his News Conference at the PGA Championship. Olazabal first said that Harrington had to do something extraordinary and after Harrington held the first round lead in The Barclays, Olazabal added that Harrington had to “at least win.” It was clear that Olazabal had no intention of picking Harrington.

Lucas Glover injured his right knee on a paddle board before the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and later turned into a tear. He will have surgery next month and it is probable that because he played hurt, he developed bad habits and his struggles this year reflected those habits. Glover will likely shut it down until 2013 and Hoggard hopes that he will give himself time to heal before returning to the PGA TOUR. Because of his 2009 U.S. Open win, Glover is exempt through the 2014 season.

Based on the last two weeks, a few players including Brandt Snedeker, Dustin Johnson, and Nick Watney would have made big moves up the U.S. Ryder Cup Points List if it had not been closed after the PGA Championship. Hoggard said that if he could make the four Captain’s Picks, he would pick Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, and Brandt Snedeker. Stricker and Furyk provide a strong veteran presence on the team while D.J. is a long hitter and Davis Love III will likely set up Medinah to benefit longer hitters. Hoggard said that the reason Snedeker should be on the team is that he is the best putter among all of the possible Captain’s Picks. The only difficult decision he has regarding U.S. Captain’s Picks is Hunter Mahan. Mahan has been on the last two U.S. Ryder Cup teams, he has won twice on the PGA TOUR including the WGC-Accenture Match Play, and he has a strong presence in the team room. But when you look at his recent struggles compared to other players, it is certainly possible that Mahan will be the odd man out.