USA
Ryder Cup points update: Brandt Snedeker back in top 5 after Match Play
By T.J. Auclair On March 29, 2016 10:19 UTC
With no American players making it beyond the quarterfinals at last week's WGC-Dell Match Play Championship in Austin, Texas, there wasn't a whole lot of movement in the latest U.S. Ryder Cup Team standings.
Brandt Snedeker, eliminated in the Round of 16 by eventual champion and new world No. 1 Jason Day, climbed one position from No. 6 to No. 5.
Brooks Koepka, Ryan Moore and Dustin Johnson were the only U.S. players to advance to the quarterfinals, but all lost.
For his efforts, Koepka moved from No. 10 to No. 9 this week, while Moore went from No. 18 to No. 14 and Johnson – though picking up some points – stayed at No. 3.
In the opposite field Puerto Rican Open, Americans Tony Finau and Steve Marino battled in a playoff, which Finau eventually won for his first PGA Tour victory. However, no Ryder Cup points are awarded for events that overlap major championships or World Golf Championships.
Here's a look at the top 12 following the 2016 WGC-Dell Match Play Championship (remember, the top eight qualify on points, while U.S. Captain Davis Love III will round out the team with his four Captain's Picks):
1. Jordan Spieth 6,989.080
2. Bubba Watson 3,557.578
3. Dustin Johnson 3,520.782
4. Zach Johnson 3,097.302
5. Brandt Snedeker 3,001.907
6. Rickie Fowler 2,919.357
7. Phil Mickelson 2,850.537
8. Patrick Reed 2,018.221
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9. Brooks Koepka 1,982.007
10. Bill Haas 1,948.745
11. Jason Dufner 1,740.483
12. Kevin Kisner 1,653.964
Since the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine in Chaska, Minn., will be played in an Olympic year (with golf included in the Games for the first time since 1904), there have been some adjustments made to the qualifying calendar for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
You can read about the entire qualifying process here, but these are the key qualifying dates:
- Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016: The top eight will be finalized at the conclusion of The Barclays, which is scheduled to finish on this date, as opposed to the traditional closing of points at the conclusion of the PGA Championship, which will be played in July instead of August in 2016 due to the Olympics. It also affords players an additional two weeks from past years to earn a spot on points.
- Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016: Love will select three of his four Captain's Picks at the conclusion of the BMW Championship, scheduled to end on this day.
- Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016: Love will make his fourth and final Captain's Pick at the conclusion of the Tour Championship, scheduled to end on this day.