Between now and when the American Ryder Cup team is decided, GolfChannel.com will provide a weekly update on the points standings.
Following the PGA Championship on August 12, Davis Love III will have eight players automatically qualify for his U.S. Ryder Cup team at Medinah. After the Valero Texas Open, here are the top eight in the standings (with points earned in parentheses):
1. Bubba Watson (4,717.75)
2. Phil Mickelson (3,746.62)
3. Hunter Mahan (3,332.05)
4. Keegan Bradley (3,111.49)
5. Tiger Woods (2,173.67)
6. Brandt Snedeker (2,145.86)
7. Bill Haas (2,106.07)
8. Steve Stricker (2,060.84)
Love also has four wild-card selections he will make in September. Following play at TPC San Antonio, these half-dozen players are contenders for a captain’s pick.
9. Kyle Stanley: Close to the top 8, Stanley has struggled since the start of the Florida Swing with two MCs and no finish better than T-51.
10. Johnson Wagner: Wagner came out of the gate hot, winning in Hawaii. He has lost steam in his last two starts, however, missing cuts at Augusta National and the Texas Open.
11. Mark Wilson: Wilson has won three early tournaments in each of the last two years. Wilson, however, has cracked the top 25 just once since his victory at the former Hope.
12. Matt Kuchar: Kuchar took a chance playing in Texas, finishing T-13 at a new stop for him. A little dip for Kuchar after logging four straight top-10 finishes from the match play to the Masters.
17. Zach Johnson: Johnson did not play this week, but was runner-up at Heritage. That should earn brownie points with Love, who is a five-time champion there.
20. John Huh: The rookie catapulted into the top 20 this week with his T-2 at the Texas Open. Not having logged the same PGA Tour hours as his peers, Huh’s run is impressive.