Snedeker and Furyk added to Ryder team

NEW YORK - Brandt Snedeker had nothing more than big hopes and another strong finish when he left the TPC Boston, expecting to wait deep into the night for a phone call from Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III that would determine if he was on the U.S. team.

"I had no clue one way or another," Snedeker said Tuesday. "Got on the plane, got here to Indianapolis, and got a voice mail from Davis just asking if I brought my putter from Boston and if I wanted to be on the team. I was just so excited. Couldn't hardly sleep last night. Just a huge, huge thing for my career."

Snedeker was among four players whom Love selected to fill out his 12-man Ryder Cup team. The captain also took a pair of veterans, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker, and Dustin Johnson, who showed the hottest hand over the last two weeks and who Love said was "perfect for Medinah."

The Ryder Cup will be Sept. 28-30 at Medinah outside Chicago, which has hosted the PGA Championship twice since 1999 and is known as a power golf course. Tiger Woods won two majors there.

More than power, however, Love emphasized putting.

Stricker is regarded as one of the best in the game, and Snedeker is not far behind.

The eight players who qualified three weeks ago for the U.S. team are Woods, Jason Dufner, Masters champion Bubba Watson, U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, and Phil Mickelson.

Never before has the Ryder Cup featured so many of the best players. All 24 from both teams are among the top 36 players in the world.

Europe completed its team last week - Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie, Francesco Molinari, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Peter Hanson, Sergio Garcia, and Martin Kaymer. Jose Maria Olazabal used his captain's picks on Ian Poulter and Nicolas Colsaerts.