Ryder Cup: Tony Finau secures final Team USA wildcard

2018 Ryder Cup

• What: Team Europe vs. Team USA
• When: 28-30 September
• Where: Le Golf National, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France
• Website: rydercup.com

World No.15 Tony Finau admits he had “goosebumps” after being called up to the Team USA squad for this month’s Ryder Cup.

Finau’s selection as Jim Furyk’s fourth and final captain’s pick means the American team will now face Europe at Le Golf National in France.

It will be Finau’s first Ryder Cup appearance and he is the third rookie on the US team alongside Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau.

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After 11 top-ten finishes this season, the 28-year-old was delighted to get the call from US captain Furyk.

“I’ve still got goosebumps,” said Finau, who tied for eighth at last weekend’s BMW Championship. “I’m just ecstatic. I don’t know if I can really put it into words. All the emotions that come with accomplishing something like that… man, it’s a dream come true for me.

“I got the goosebumps when he told me, and I’m excited to add my skills and talent to the team – a team that’s stacked already.”

On Finau’s season so far, Furyk said: “What an unbelievable body of work this year. All the top-ten finishes, the play in the big championships and the majors, and then the current form, with a second, a fourth and an eighth [in the FedEx Cup play-offs].

“He checked a lot of boxes and made it impossible not to pick him. I’m excited to add him to the team. Tony played well in big moments this year.”

How the Ryder Cup teams line up

Team USA

• Captain: Jim Furyk
• Vice-captains: David Duval, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Davis Love III, Steve Stricker
• USA’s 12-player squad: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau

Team Europe

• Captain: Thomas Bjorn
• Vice-captains: Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Robert Karlsson, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood
• Europe’s 12-player squad: Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Thorbjørn Olesen, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson

Rose is the new world No.1

Justin Rose may have missed out on winning the BMW Championship in Philadelphia but the Englishman is celebrating becoming the world No.1 golfer for the first time in his career.

Rose, who will play for Team Europe in the Ryder Cup, lost a play-off against Keegan Bradley to finish second at the BMW Championship. He climbs from fourth in the world rankings to top spot. Americans Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka are second and third respectively.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Rose said: “To get to world No.1 is unbelievable, and I can say now in my career I’ve been the best player in the world. I’ve been to the top of the game, and that’s definitely some consolation [to losing the play-off against Bradley].”