Patrick Reed’s victory at Augusta National earned him a lot: a green jacket, nearly $2 million and a lifetime invite to the Masters. Now you can add a spot on the 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup team to the list.
Reed’s win brought with it enough Ryder Cup rankings points to move him from 9th place to 1st in the official Ryder Cup standings. Better yet, his point total so far (6,321.901) virtually guarantees him a place on the team (as if the stalwart wouldn’t have been picked anyway). American players earn 1 ranking point for each $1,000 they earn in a normal 2018 PGA Tour event, and the points are doubled for majors. The top eight golfers in the rankings after the conclusion of the PGA Championship in August earn automatic bids on the U.S. team that faces off against the European at Le Golf National near Paris in September.
The current top eight in the U.S. rankings is a murderer’s row of major champions (plus Rickie Fowler). After Reed, here’s the current list, in order: Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Fowler, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson.
Unbelievably, with just six Tour starts to his name in 2018, Tiger Woods has already rocketed up the list. He currently stands in 28th place, which means one victory could get him close to the top 10.
While the top eight players get automatic spots on the team, four other players will be chosen as captain’s picks by U.S. captain Jim Furyk. Matt Kuchar, Brian Harman, Kevin Kisner and Gary Woodland are the current bubble players at 9-12, though captain’s picks can be used on any qualifying player regardless of their ranking (and a lot is bound to change before the PGA).
You can see the full rankings at rydercup.com.
