Golf:Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Brandt Snedeker and Dustin Johnson have been selected by Davis Love III to complete his United States Ryder Cup team.

The quartet have were Love’s choices for his captain’s wild card picks for the match against Europe at Medinah, near Chicago, Illinois. The two players to lose out are probably Hunter Mahan and Rickie Fowler.

Love said: “I can’t tell you how excited I am that these four guys are going to round our team out. I think we’re extremely deep this time, deeper than we’ve ever been.”

The four players selected today will join the eight already qualified via the points list for the match, which tees off on September 28th. They were Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson, Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar and rookies Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson.

Snedeker is a fourth first-timer on the USA team, while Johnson is playing in the event for the second time after featuring in 2010’s defeat at Celtic Manor.

Love told a press conference today: “We need hot putters and there really hasn’t been a hotter putter on tour since the Open (than Snedeker). He brings lot on and off the course and to the team room, he can pair with anyone, he’s a great asset.

“(Johnson is) the best athlete on the team and he’s perfect for Medinah. I said I was going to try to plug some holes we had, and I think he does that.”

On veterans Furyk and Stricker, making their eighth and third appearances respectively, he added: “We also needed experience, Jim is one of the most consistent players on the tour and one of the most respected.

“I’ve been in the team room with him five times, this will be his eighth team and he was 5-0 in his last international match (the 2011 President’s Cup). (Stricker has) been the best player in my mind on tour the last five or six years.

“He’s another guy that pairs well with anybody and another great putter, and he’s somebody I really trust on and off the course — he’s been a great asset to me already getting prepared for this day.”

Stricker immediately set his stall out to play a major role in America regaining the trophy which Europe have won four of the last five times and six of the last eight, including a 14.5-13.5 success in Wales last time out. "We all know how much fun it is and how much pride we take in being part of this team, and to play for Davis is going to be a thrill," he said.

"I'm looking forward to it, it's a great time and it's a tremendous lot of fun trying to get that one common goal and win that cup back. It's what we're all appearing for and I'm looking forward to it."

Furyk said: "I've had the opportunity to play in quite a few Ryder Cups but Davis has been a good friend, someone we all respect and look up to. "It'll be fun playing for one of the guys that I've played a lot of years on the PGA Tour with. I'm looking forward to it, I couldn't be more excited."

Snedeker promised to try to make Love "look like a genius" after his selection. "I'm so excited to be on this team," said the 31-year-old, who led the Open after two rounds at Royal Lytham & St Annes. "It's going to be such great experience for me to be in my first Ryder Cup, I'm looking forward to getting to Medinah and trying to make Davis look like he's a genius and try to play as good as I possibly can."

Dustin Johnson added: "Obviously I'm very excited to be on the team, I'm really looking forward to it. I've played well the last few weeks and made my case pretty solid and I'm really excited about it. I played the Ryder Cup away and I'm looking forward to playing one on home soil."

Love concluded: "A lot of guys played a lot of really good golf, it was tough to leave anybody off. We could have gone very deep this year down the points list. There's four great players that we have picked that all bring a lot to the team, but it was definitely a tough call.

"We're looking to match guys up, we're looking for pairings, we're looking to plug some holes, we're looking to add some experience, add some putters... these guys all fill those roles perfectly. I can't tell you how excited I'm going to be for the next 22 days to talk to
these guys, work with these guys and get ready to play some golf."