ESPN Golf

Great putters? Long hitters? Hometown favorites? U.S. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger has some tough decisions ahead in making his four at-large picks for this year's squad.

Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Ben Curtis and Boo Weekley have clinched their spots to play at Valhalla in September, but the next four won't be as easy.

Fortunately for Azinger, he's got three more weeks before his captain's picks are due. So who should he take? ESPN.com golf writers Jason Sobel and Bob Harig discuss the possibilities in their weekly e-mail chat, Alternate Shot.

FROM: Jason Sobel TO: Bob Harig

Maybe Paul Azinger is a genius. Or maybe he's just really lucky. Whatever the case, as the U.S. captain noted during a Monday morning news conference following the PGA Championship, making his captain's picks at this point on the calendar -- as his predecessors have always done -- "would have been very difficult." Well, good thing he (along with the PGA of America) decided to move back the selection process another three weeks. Ever since being named to the position, Azinger has maintained that his four picks would come from among the hottest recent players, but you've got to wonder if he ever considered this conundrum: What if none of the potential candidates are playing well? To some extent, that's the case right now.

FROM: Bob Harig TO: Jason Sobel

We all knew that the new points system was going to make things more volatile, but maybe what we didn't think about was the fact that if you were playing well at this time of year, you were going to move into the top eight anyway. Math genius that you are, you noted last week that a club pro with no points could have won the PGA and made the U.S. Ryder Cup team. So I guess it should not be a surprise that the guys on the outside looking in right now are not exactly lighting it up. Among spots nine through 20 on the points list, only D.J. Trahan (Bob Hope), Sean O'Hair (PODS) and J.B. Holmes (FBR Open) have won tournaments this year -- none since March.

FROM: Jason Sobel TO: Bob Harig

Of course, that leaves things wide open for players over the next three weeks and, really, it may not take much at the Wyndham Championship, The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship to become one of those four picks. Seriously, a pair of top-10s at two of those three could be enough for Azinger to look at the numbers and say, "Well, that's better than anyone else has fared." You've got to wonder if the skipper will have to look a bit farther down his priorities list, from players with strong recent results to those, perhaps, with previous Ryder Cup experience -- or quite the opposite, looking toward players with zero experience.

FROM: Bob Harig TO: Jason Sobel

But what if nobody stands out? What if nobody does anything? And that is quite possible. In that case, if I were him, I'd go off the points list for the next two picks. He said he would keep the points going through the Deutsche Bank just to be able to see what kind of movement there was. If nothing else, he could say that Nos. 9 and 10 deserve to be on the team based on the qualifying criteria. Right now, that would be Steve Stricker and Woody Austin. At least both of those guys were on the Presidents Cup team last year. After that, who knows?

FROM: Jason Sobel TO: Bob Harig

Or maybe he picks those who have played well in big events this year. Steve Flesch and Rocco Mediate both seriously contended for majors. Maybe, playing the Mike Weir card from last year's Presidents Cup (the Canada native beat Tiger Woods in their singles match), he'll go for local favorites. Kentucky natives Flesch and Holmes would love to come home. Maybe he'll set up the course to play into the hands of the big hitters. That would mean Holmes and Bubba Watson are in the mix. Maybe he'll go for a great putter. Brian Gay and John Mallinger both fit that bill. Maybe he'll go for veteran leadership; David Toms, Davis Love III, Corey Pavin and Fred Couples are all available if he wants 'em. Certainly, there are lots of possibilities.

FROM: Bob Harig TO: Jason Sobel

First off, I think you have to look at those who are playing the best, but as we've said, that is tough to narrow down at this point. If, three weeks from now, Azinger doesn't have the clear-cut choices he would obviously like, I'd then go for fan favorites. Let's face it: The Ryder Cup is often about momentum and confidence. Having a long-ball Kentucky native such as J.B. Holmes on the team will help rile up the crowd -- and I'm guessing if he hits one into the trees as he did Sunday on the first hole, he'll have a partner to back him up. A guy like Rocco Mediate could be chosen for just that reason. I wouldn't count on him for five matches, but why not let him have a go in best-ball, where again, the crowd could be a factor? Rocco is about as popular as it gets these days. All of that said, however, it sounds as if we are grasping a bit, doesn't it?

FROM: Jason Sobel TO: Bob Harig

Absolutely. There's not one magical answer out there that will leave anyone smacking their head, saying, "Of course! He's the missing ingredient!" OK, I know your wedge game is something shy of Azinger's, but I want you to wear your captain's hat for a minute and give me your four leading contenders with three weeks to go. Seems like Rocco and J.B. make your squad, right? Who are the other two?

FROM: Bob Harig TO: Jason Sobel

Yes, Rocco and J.B. Holmes would make it at this moment. And in searching for the other two -- and it's not easy -- I have to go with putting. The Americans seem to have struggled on the greens at the Ryder Cup, so I would pick Zach Johnson and Brandt Snedeker for the ability to get it done with the flat stick. But I must say, I'm not that confident that any of my choices is the right one. You got any better ideas?

FROM: Jason Sobel TO: Bob Harig

Not really. Mediate and Snedeker would make my team right now, too, joined by Hunter Mahan and Sean O'Hair. The reasoning is actually based on something Azinger said recently -- that it took a generation of American players to start losing the Ryder Cup and it will take a new generation to start winning it back. Three of those four are under 30. If nothing else, he'd be helping to build the team for the future.

FROM: Bob Harig TO: Jason Sobel

Well, it's tough to argue against that logic. Young players are a good start. But didn't we say the same thing about Johnson, J.J. Henry, Vaughn Taylor and Brett Wetterich two years ago in Ireland? See where I'm going? At the moment, Azinger has a tough decision to make, and I'm not sure there is a right answer.

FROM: Jason Sobel TO: Bob Harig

Well, the right answer would be a combination of players who could earn enough points to help the U.S. to victory. Are they out there? Maybe. Maybe not. Azinger is probably wondering the same thing.