US Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger named Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, J.B. Holmes and Chad Campbell as his four captain's selections on Tuesday to complete the American lineup.

The USA will be aiming to prevent Europe, who have won five of the last six editions of this biennial contest, from continuing their domination in two weeks in Louisville, Kentucky.

Campbell, whose wife is expecting to deliver a baby any day, is the only one of the trio who has played in the event before.

Holmes, a Kentuckian who knows well the host Valhalla course for the event, is the only member of the group who has won an event this year, having taken the US PGA title in Phoenix.

"We're all excited to be on the team," Mahan said. "I wish it were starting today."

Azinger changed the selection process this year to give himself more picks and to make them later, three weeks after the points process sealed the top eight spots for others, to find the hottest players heading into the event.

"My dream was to find the four players playing best with the most confidence," Azinger said. "I think we rounded out this team with the best possible players at this time."

But that might not be saying as much as Azinger would like. Non-US players won the past three US PGA events, Fiji's Vijay Singh taking the Deutsche Bank title Sunday and Barclays last week. No one stepped into a void for a Cup spot.

"It was up for grabs," Azinger said. "A number of guys could have won that tournament and it would have been an automatic berth on the team. Not that a season should be whittled down to one day. But for me it was."

Stricker was bumped out of an automatic spot by a PGA Championship runner-up effort from Curtis but would have been on the team had points been kept for three more weeks.

Mahan "has a lot of heart and will be good for the team", Azinger said, while when it comes to long-driving Holmes "I like his personality and he knows Valhalla like the back of his hand."

With world number one Tiger Woods sidelined by injury, the US squad figures to be led by veterans Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard.

Others who made the US lineup on points compiled through last month's PGA Championship include Ben Curtis, Kenny Perry, Stewart Cink, Anthony Kim and Boo Weekley.

That process was revamped too as the Americans try to find a way to swipe back the trophy from holders Europe, which has won the last three times.

Azinger said he made only one call of condolences to a player that went unpicked. "There is some heartache in this as well," he said.

European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo of England made his captain's choices on Sunday, selecting Englishmen Ian Poulter and Paul Casey.

Englishmen Justin Rose and Oliver Wilson and Denmark's Soren Hansen took the last three European automatic qualifying spots at the Johnnie Walker Classic last Sunday.

Europe's team also includes reigning British Open and PGA Championship winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland, Spain's Sergio Garcia, England's Lee Westwood, Swedes Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson, Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell.

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie and Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, both Cup veterans, will miss out on the action 19-21 September.

AFP

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