PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Anthony Kim and Kenny Perry, who each have posted a pair of victories this season, have made the most significant impact since the start of the year in their drive for a berth on the 2008 United States Ryder Cup Team.
Seven events remain in the season prior to the first eight U.S. Team berths being determined following the 90th PGA Championship, Aug. 7-10, at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich.
The 37th Ryder Cup will be conducted Sept. 19-21, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. U.S. Captain Paul Azinger will complete the final members of the 12-member 2008 American Team with four Captain’s picks, Tuesday, Sept. 2, at a news conference to be announced.
Perry, who will turn 48 on the final day of the PGA Championship, began the year in the No. 63 position before steadily moving up the list into his current No. 3 spot. Perry capitalized in the month of June, winning the Memorial Tournament on June 1 and the Buick Open on June 29, in his bid to grab a second Ryder Cup berth.
Kim, winner of last week’s AT&T National and the Wachovia Championship on May 4, began the season No. 54, and is now fifth overall as he nears cementing his Ryder Cup debut.
Among the contenders is Rocco Mediate, who was ranked 139th in the standings after the Masters and vaulted into the current No. 13 position after finishing runner-up in the U.S. Open to Tiger Woods.
Woods announced June 17 that he would be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to knee surgery, making Stewart Cink the current No. 1 Ryder Cup point leader. He is followed in the chase for an automatic top-8 team berth by Phil Mickelson, Perry, Jim Furyk, Kim, Justin Leonard, Boo Weekley and Woody Austin.
(See chart below for tracking U.S. Ryder Cup Team contenders since Jan. 8)
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Tracking 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup Contenders
(Point Positions through July 6)
Player Jan. 8
Mercedes-Benz
Championship April 13
Masters June 16
U.S. Open July 6
AT&T National
Tiger Woods* 1 1 1 DNP
Stewart Cink 7 2 3 1
Phil Mickelson 55 3 2 2
Kenny Perry 63 39 7 3
Jim Furyk 2 4 4 4
Anthony Kim 54 57 8 5
Justin Leonard 37 7 5 6
Boo Weekley 18 17 6 7
Woody Austin 5 11 17 8
Hunter Mahan 6 13 20 9
Steve Stricker 4 5 10 10
D.J. Trahan 46 12 13 11
Brandt Snedeker 21 8 9 12
Rocco Mediate NR 139 15 13
Zach Johnson 3 6 11 14
*- Sidelined for season due to injury; NR – Not ranked; DNP – Did not play
