Current Ryder Cup standings would inject new blood into American side

The usual suspects are present and accounted for; Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Stewart Cink have become fixtures on the United States Ryder Cup team and the foursome currently makes up to top 4 in the Ryder Cup standings.

But beyond the expected names, a youth movement stands poised to inject some new blood into an American team that has struggled mightily in the past two Ryder Cup competitions.

Heading that group is the 22-year-old Anthony Kim who is fresh off of a convincing victory at the Wachovia Championship. Kim is 5^th in the current version of the Ryder Cup standings and is being celebrated by many this week as the next challenger to Woods to arrive on the scene. Kim has enjoyed a magnificent stretch of golf that includes the Wachovia win and a second place finish at the Verizon Heritage in mid-April.

The man who defeated Kim in Hilton Head at Harbour Town Golf Links to capture the Verizon Heritage, Boo Weekley, is right on Kim's heels in the Ryder Cup standings.

The remaining members of the top 10 include 2006 Ryder Cup rookie and 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker, 1999 Ryder Cup hero Justin Leonard and the affable Brandt Snedeker who made a name for himself with a strong performance in this year's Masters.

Just outside of the top 10 are two more young players who have each won PGA TOUR events this year, Sean O'Hair and J.B. Holmes.

If the pattern of young players playing well on tour continues and this list doesn't drastically change before September, the United States team could look dramatically different than it did at the K Club in 2006. Mickelson thinks that would be a good thing and could act as a boost, similar to the lift new faces provided for the last year's President's Cup team.

"I think that we have had a turnover in American golf on the American team," said Mickelson during a press conference in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., prior to the PLAYERS Championship. "I think that we've got a lot of good young players that are going to make the team this year, and I think that last year's Presidents Cup Team had a real energy boost from those young players who were energetic and enthused and motivated to play well. I think we'll have hopefully the same thing on this year's Ryder Cup team."

Weekley, who admittedly isn't following the Ryder Cup standings very closely, said he doesn't know if an infusion of young talent will make a difference when the Americans try to regain the cup this year.

"I don't know," said Weekley prior to the PLAYERS Championship. "I don't know if it's what we need to win again. I couldn't tell you that. You know, I don't follow that much on golf. So I couldn't tell you what the record is or how many times we've lost. But it would be nice to go play on it, you know, on the Ryder Cup. It would be an honor to be able to represent my country and say hey, I got to play this and the reason why is because of my game, not because of who I am."

For the record, America's record in the biennial golf battle hasn't been very good as of late.

Since 1985 the United States has only managed to take possession of the cup in three of 11 competitions with the last being in 1999 at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass., when Leonard's putt in a singles match against Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal capped a tremendous U.S. comeback effort after the Americans began the day down 10-6.

The United States had won or at least retained the Ryder Cup by virtue of a tie for 13 successive competitions before Europe broke that streak at The Belfry in 1985.

The 2008 Ryder Cup will be contested at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., from Sept. 16-21.

Current Ryder Cup Standings - Top 15

1.      Tiger Woods                      8,665.627

2.      Stewart Cink                      3,349.947

3.      Jim Furyk                           3,025.936

4.      Phil Mickelson                     2,986.570

5.      Anthony Kim                      2,163.796

6.      Boo Weekley                      2,137.791

7.      Zach Johnson                     2,002.471

8.      Steve Stricker                    1,991.118

9.      Justin Leonard                    1,870.702

10.    Brandt Snedeker                1,735.099

11.    Sean O'Hair                        1,691.608

12.    J.B. Holmes                        1,680.639

13.    Woody Austin                    1,609.181

14.    Bart Bryant                        1,595.392

15.    Hunter Mahan                    1,355.057