Ryan Moore earned it.
He deserved it, he didn’t expect it.
Moore was named by Davis Love III Sunday night as the 12th and final pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team that will compete against Europe this week at Hazeltine National.
Moore put on a spectacular showing Sunday in Atlanta when he finished runnerup to eventual winner Rory McIlroy at the Tour Championship. It took a playoff, longest in Tour Championship history. On the 16th hole, the fifth hole of the playoff, Moore made up for a poor chip shot by holing a 16-foot par putt. It ended though when McIlroy ran in a birdie putt from just inside 15-feet.
“I played with him all day and he was phenomenal,” is how McIlroy described Moore’s play.
Moore came into the picture for the team when he won at the John Deere last month then finished in the top 10 in the first two playoff events.
“I was invited to practice (at Hazeltine) but I had played seven straight weeks and had to take some time off,” Moore said. He figured that turning down the invite from Love would seal his fate and he wouldn’t be given consideration.
But he let his play do the talking.
