Pavin picks vice-captains
American Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin has announced the roster for his 2010 vice-captains. This year Pavin has selected four other golfers to assist him: Tom Lehman, Jeff Sluman, Davis Love and Paul Goydos. Colin Montgomerie, captain of the European Ryder cup team, also announced his three vice-captains Tuesday, picking Thomas Bjorn, Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke.
The Americans are defending champions after their victory two years ago in Valhalla Kentucky. This year, the US team isn’t doing as well, and have lost five of the past seven events and are widely regarded as this year’s underdogs.
Goydos made headlines a couple weeks ago at the John Deere Classic when he shot a first round 59 on the TCP Deere Run. Only four other players in PGA history have shot that low score, Al Geiberger in 1977, Chip Beck in 1991, and David Duval in 1999. Goydos, 46, is the oldest of them to accomplish it.
“Wow,” Goydos had said. “Fifty-nine is a pretty iconic number. I just keep going wow.”
His round included 12 birdies, no bogeys and 6 pars. He enjoyed the spotlight for the day and the lead, answering happily to “Mr.59,” but wasn’t able to win the John Deere Classic.
Love is a PGA Tour veteran, and won his first tournament back in 1987.He has won a total of 20 PGA Tour events but only one major championship, the 1997 PGA Championship. He is a two time winner of the prestigious Players Championship, in 1992 and 2003, and was ranked in the top ten on the Official World golf Rankings for 450 weeks during his prime, reaching as high as third place. His most recent win was at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic in 2008. It was Love’s 20th Tour win, and he was granted a lifetime exemption on the tour. Love is 44 years old.
Sluman, 52, has six PGA Tour victories since turning pro in 1980. Sluman has had somewhat of an irregular career. During what is usually considered to be a golfers prime years - 20’s through mid 30’s – Sluman only had one win. He grabbed the title at the 1988 PGA Championship at 30, and was runner up for the 1992 US open, but he wouldn’t win another even for a almost 10 years.
Just before he turned 40 Sluman’s luck began changing. He started winning Tour and non-Tour events including the Tucson Chrysler Classic in 1997. In the next seven seasons he won seven events and four on the PGA Tour. His best season was in 2002 when he finished in 15th place on the PGA Tour money list and has been one of the PGA’s most consistent top 10 finisher throughout his career. Sluman joined the Champions Tour in 2007, winning his first tournament the following year. His most recent win was last year at the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.
Lehman, 51, captained the 2006 Ryder Cup team, though they were defeated 18.5 to 9.5 by Ian Woosnam’s European Team. This was the largest Ryder Cup victory in history. He won his debut tournament on the Champions Tour last year, and was the 13th debutant to accomplish this. He has since played in the Senior PGA Championship, in May of 2010, winning the playoff between Fred Couples and David Frost for his first Champions Tour major championship.
Lehman had a slow start in the world of professional golf. He lost his PGA tour card after little successes through 1983-85. In 1991 he regained his card after toping Ben Hogan on the Tour’s money list and was Player of the Year in 1996. Lehman has five PGA Tour victories, two on the European Tour, four on the Nationwide, two on the Champions and one in the Japan Golf tour. Lehman won the 1996 British Open and was runner up for the 1996 US Open.
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