Webb Simpson moves to second in U.S. Ryder Cup standings
If the Ryder Cup is held as scheduled in a little over three months, Webb Simpson now seems like a lock to be on the U.S. roster.
Simpson earned his second victory of the year Sunday while breaking the tournament scoring record at the RBC Heritage. Throw in his playoff loss earlier this year at the RSM Classic and a third-place showing at the Sony Open and Simpson is among the best players on Tour this season. He’s also now up to second in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, trailing only Brooks Koepka after his victory at Hilton Head.
American captain Steve Stricker now has six picks at his disposal, meaning that there will only be six automatic qualifiers after the BMW Championship in August. Koepka and Simpson now occupy the first two spots, followed by Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Xander Schauffele and Gary Woodland.
Justin Thomas is ranked No. 3 in the world but he’s on the outside looking in for Ryder Cup purposes, still sitting at seventh in the American points list, while Tiger Woods is ninth. Here’s a look at the latest landscape for U.S. Ryder Cup points heading into the Travelers Championship:
1. Brooks Koepka
2. Webb Simpson
3. Dustin Johnson
4. Patrick Reed
5. Xander Schauffele
6. Gary Woodland
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7. Justin Thomas
8. Bryson DeChambeau
9. Tiger Woods
10. Tony Finau
11. Daniel Berger
12. Matt Kuchar
17. Jordan Spieth
19. Rickie Fowler
29. Phil Mickelson