NEW YORK — Tiger Woods was a no-brainer as a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup.
Rickie Fowler required a little more deep thought.
“It just came down to feelings,” captain Corey Pavin said. “I had a gut feeling about Rickie.”
Fowler, the 21-year-old mop top who only turned pro 11 months ago, made history Tuesday as the first PGA Tour rookie on the American team and the first captain’s pick to have never won on tour.
He was the only big mystery when Pavin announced his four picks at the New York Stock Exchange. Pavin also chose two major champions, Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson, both of whom have played the Ryder Cup on the road. The matches will be held Oct. 1-3 at Celtic Manor in Wales.
Fowler will be the youngest American to play in the Ryder Cup since Woods in 1997, but only the second-youngest player at Celtic Manor. Rory McIlroy, the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland, earned his way onto the European team.
“I can bring a little bit of color to the team. I can bring some youth to the team and hopefully get the guys pumped up a little bit,” Fowler said.
The Americans who qualified after the PGA Championship were Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson and Jeff Overton.
Europe’s team has six Ryder Cup rookies — Italian brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari, Peter Hanson, McIlroy, Ross Fisher and PGA champion Martin Kaymer — along with Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald, Miguel Angel Jimenez and U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell.
