Who is definitely in:

1. BROOKS KOEPKA
2. DUSTIN JOHNSON
3. JUSTIN THOMAS
4. PATRICK REED
5. BUBBA WATSON
6. JORDAN SPIETH
7. RICKIE FOWLER
8. WEBB SIMPSON

Who is in contention:

1) Bryson DeChambeau

Ryder Cup ranking: 9th
Ryder Cup history: None

Why he will be picked: Won the Memorial earlier this year and has the talent to be on several Ryder Cup teams to come. He’s pals with Tiger — they’ve played several practice rounds together — who will definitely have input when it comes to selecting captain’s picks. He’s 18th in Strokes Gaines Off the Tee and 21st in Strokes Gained Approach the Green, not to mention tied for 16th in birdie average.
Why he won’t be picked: He’s a quirky personality, which might not gel well with a team of veterans who have played together for years. He’s also emotional, which isn’t a bad thing for a Ryder Cup, but videos of his range blowups won’t help his case. He led the European Open in Germany last month with four holes to play, but unraveled down the stretch, finishing bogey-bogey-par-triple to tie for 13th.

2) Phil Mickelson

Ryder Cup ranking: 10th
Ryder Cup history: 11 appearances, 18-20-7 record

Why he will be picked: Might? Phil’s on the team and everyone knows it. The players look up to him and he’s auto qualified for every team for the past 11 events. He’s not sitting out this one. He ranks 6th on Tour in birdie average, and birdies win match play events.
Why he won’t be picked: Hasn’t recorded a top 10 since May and his erratic driver can be a liability in foursomes.

3) Tiger Woods

Ryder Cup ranking: 11th
Ryder Cup history: 7 appearances, 13-17-3

Why he will be picked: Where do we start? He’s won 14 majors, made a miraculous comeback in 2018 and, even though he hasn’t won, contended and shown flashes at a slew of tournaments — the Honda, Valspar, Bay Hill, Quicken Loans, British and now the PGA. He’s already on the squad as a vice captain, but you know Woods wants to play. On Monday, Furyk didn’t give up many hints, but expect Woods to play between the ropes in Paris.
Why he won’t be picked: Humor us here for a moment. Would Woods, who is looked up to by virtually every player on Tour, be more beneficial as a vice captain and leader than a player? He was highly praised for his work as an assistant captain on the last Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams.

4) Xander Schauffele

Ryder Cup ranking: 12th
Ryder Cup history: None

Why he will be picked: Last season’s PGA Tour Rookie of the Year seems to rise to the occasion at some of golf’s biggest events. He won the Tour Championship last season and finished T2 at both the Players and British Open this year, as well as a T6 at the U.S. Open. He played the first two rounds of the PGA with Furyk and Tony Finau, another potential captain’s pick, so who knows what impression he left on the man in charge. Schauffele shot 70-67 in those rounds.
Why he might won’t be picked: Besides playing well in some biggies, he might be two years too soon. Some vets might get the nod over the 24-year-old simply due to their past experience. If he misses out on a pick, he’ll be one of the first or second men out.

5) Matt Kuchar

Ryder Cup ranking: 13th
Ryder Cup history: 4 appearances, 6-7-2

Why he will be picked: A likable veteran, Kuchar brings a lot to the team room, and he’s close to the cast of captains and players. His consistency is important for a Ryder Cup. While he’s not a slam-dunk captain’s pick like Woods and Mickelson seem to be, Kuchar won’t be far down the list of options.
Why he won’t be picked: He’s 1-3 all-time in Ryder Cup singles and has missed the cut in three of his last five starts.

6) Kevin Kisner

Ryder Cup ranking: 14th
Ryder Cup history: None

Why he will be picked: Kisner earned three points in his Presidents Cup debut in 2017, finishing 2-0-2 (2-0-1 with Mickelson as his partner), and also was the runner-up at the WGC-Match Play earlier this year. His laid-back personality could mesh well with the team. Ninth in Stroke Gained Putting, Kisner is deadly with the flatstick, which comes in handy during team competitions.
Why he won’t be picked: He contended at this year’s British Open and PGA, but wasn’t able to close either. A win in one of them should have been enough to lock up his place on the team.

7) Tony Finau

Ryder Cup ranking: 15th
Ryder Cup history: None

Why he will be picked: One of the few players to make the cut at all four majors this season, Finau’s had a strong year even without a victory. He’s finished runner-up twice and has eight top 10s, and he’s missed the cut in just three of 24 starts. More recently he made 10 birdies in a crazy second-round 66 in front of Furyk on Friday at the PGA. (He shot 74 in front of the captain on Thursday.) He’s tied for 14th on Tour in birdie average.
Why he won’t be picked: A lot of solid veterans are in front of him.

This post was edited on 8/28/18 at 10:54 am