ESPN Golf

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Almost from the moment Justin Leonard holed that 45-foot putt at The Country Club in 1999, there has been very little to cheer about from a United States perspective at the Ryder Cup.

Soon after the boisterous celebration that ensued on the 17th green in Brookline, Mass., the U.S. players were being criticized for going overboard, despite rallying for the biggest final-day comeback in the event's storied history. The party that spilled onto the green became as much a story as the victory itself.

And in three ensuing Ryder Cup competitions, there has been little to smile about among the Americans. One of the few happy moments came from a Paul Azinger shot holed from a bunker on the final green at the Belfry in 2002 that staved off defeat for a few more moments.

The next two Ryder Cups have seen blowout losses for the U.S., and all sorts of theories have been bandied about in trying to reverse the trend.

Azinger, now the U.S. captain, instituted a new selection process before accepting the position. He based points on money earned rather than top-10 finishes and doubled his at-large selections from two to four.

But Leonard, who on Sunday officially made the U.S. squad for the first time since that 1999 victory, boils it down to something much simpler.

"The last two Ryder Cups, I think it's pretty obvious that the Europeans just outplayed our team," said Leonard, who despite his historic putt, has never won a Ryder Cup match (the birdie putt clinched a tie against Jose Maria Olazabal). "Whether it's making clutch putts, chipping in, or all of the little things that you have to do. … But we've just been outplayed.

"I think our goal and Captain Zinger's goal is to get 12 guys that are ready to play and that are playing well at the time and with the new selection process we have a much better chance of making that happen."

That still remains to be seen.

Leonard is one of the eight automatic qualifiers to make the team at the conclusion of the PGA Championship, which was won Sunday by Ireland's Padraig Harrington at Oakland Hills Country Club. He is also one of five players -- including Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk -- who have Ryder Cup experience.

Anthony Kim, Ben Curtis and Boo Weekley are U.S. Ryder Cup rookies. Not that it is such a bad thing.

"I've said all along that experience, while being very important, anybody who has played Ryder Cup in the last 12 years. … I mean, we've lost five of the last six Ryder Cups, so most of their experiences are bad experiences," Azinger said Monday morning. "So it's not like experience is going to be a great help. I'm looking for guys that are playing well, it's as simple as that. And if it's an experienced player playing well, then I think that's fantastic."

Azinger will make his at-large selections on Sept. 2, after three more tournaments. The Ryder Cup begins Sept. 19 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

On the positive side for the Americans, six of the eight players who made the Ryder Cup team have won tournaments this year, led by Perry with three and Mickelson and Kim with two each.

On the negative side, Cink missed the cut at the British Open and the PGA, while Perry's only appearance in a major ended after one round at the PGA, where he withdrew with a scratched cornea.

Curtis, the 2003 British Open champion, made the biggest move, coming out of nowhere with a tie for seventh at the British Open and a tie for second at the PGA. That is the kind of momentum Azinger has wanted to see, although Curtis has never played in a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup and is not particularly viewed as the type of player who will scare anyone in match play.

And the Americans' top guns -- Mickelson, Cink and Furyk -- have gone a combined 18-29-10 in their Ryder Cup careers.

In the past, Azinger would have been required to make his captain's picks on Monday, something he would not have relished.

"It would have been very difficult to know what to do," he said.

Is that because nobody he can pick from particularly stands out? Or are there too many choices?

Steve Stricker, who has never played on a Ryder Cup team, got bumped out of the top eight on Sunday when Curtis played his way onto the team. Woody Austin, who is 10th in points, and Hunter Mahan, who is 12th, missed the cut at the PGA, while D.J. Trahan, who is 11th, tied for 31st.

J.B. Holmes and Rocco Mediate, believed to be favorites of Azinger's, both had tough final rounds. Holmes was the third-round leader but shot 81. Mediate, who lost in a playoff at the U.S. Open, shot 85 on Sunday.

All have three more weeks to prove themselves, including the first two playoff events in the FedEx Cup series.

Europe also has three more weeks to solidify its team, but Sergio Garcia did captain Nick Faldo a huge favor by playing his way into the lineup with a tie for second. Harrington, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson and Miguel Angel Jimenez are all but set. Faldo has only two picks and on the outside looking in are Ryder Cup regulars Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke.

"For the first time in a long time, Europe is going to have everything to lose in these matches," Azinger said. "It's usually the other way around. Even though they've won five of the last six, they just seem to come in as the underdog. I don't know how that works. This time I think it's clear that we are the underdogs going into these matches."

At least Leonard knows what it is like to play on a winning Ryder Cup team, and is likely to be joined by only Mickelson and Furyk in that regard because Tiger Woods is out after undergoing season-ending knee surgery.

"It's nice to be known for something good like that, and to be part of a couple of Ryder Cup teams and to be part of a winning Ryder Cup team," Leonard said. "That's the last memory I have of it personally. So hopefully I can bring some of that into the locker room and the team room, and just have a positive influence."

Bob Harig covers golf for ESPN.com. He can be reached at BobHarig@gmail.com.