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| Boo Weekley and Steve Stricker both enter this week's PGA Championship with a potential automatic bid into the US Ryder Cup Team on the line, according to ESPN.com. |
Our View: The top eight players on the PGA's Ryder Cup points standings are granted automatic bids, using those standings as they sit after this major. Weekley is currently ranked 9th on the last and Stricker is ranked 10th, both bumped up one spot due to the injury suffered by Tiger Woods (ranked 1st, of course). There are other golfers in the mix (including Woody Austin, Hunter Mahan, DJ Trahan, Rocco Mediate, and Sean O'Hair) that could push into those positions should Weekley and/or Stricker find failure. Of course, captain Paul Azinger has eight spots to fill after those automatic bids, and those are at his discretion. There are three more weeks of tourneys to be played following this major before those must be decided and Azinger must fill the remaining spots. However, the automatic bid is a significant goal for professional American golfers, putting more than a major title at stake this week.
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| Alex Cejka has officially withdrawn from this week's PGA Championship, citing an unspecified arm injury as his reason for withdrawal, according to Reuters. |
Our View: Cejka most recently withdrew from the John Deere Classic, but at the time the PGA failed to list any specific reason for pulling out. Today's withdrawal does not specify what kind of arm injury Cejka may have, and thus we are left to speculate. Withdrawing from a major is not an easy decision, leaving us with worry that the situation may be more serious than originally thought. He is replaced in the field by Tom Pernice, Jr.
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| Shingo Katayama has officially withdrawn from this week's PGA Championship, listing a back injury as his reason for withdrawal, according to Reuters. |
Our View: Katayama, currently ranked 52nd in the most recent World Golf Rankings, has been battling the back issue all season long, though he reports it has gotten worse over the course of the season. Clearly, pulling out of the major indicates it is worse than originally thought. He is replaced in the field by Michael Allen.
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