Talor Gooch 'Should Definitely Get A Pick' For The Ryder Cup Says Bubba Watson
Bubba Watson says his LIV Golf teammate Talor Gooch should "definitely" make it onto the USA Ryder Cup team
Talor Gooch's prolific winning form in the LIV Golf League should be enough to "definitely" make the USA Ryder Cup team, according to Bubba Watson.
Two-time Masters champion Watson is Gooch's team captain with the Range Goats in LIV Golf, and he believes his fellow American is playing well enough to get one of Zach Johnson's six picks for Rome.
Gooch is the only three-time LIV Golf tournament winner after claiming the trophy at Valderrama last week, and is again among the favourites for this week's event at Centurion.
The 31-year-old is being talked about as a possible Ryder Cup rookie for America, and Watson says that alongside the resurgent Rickie Fowler, Gooch should be a captain's pick.
"Well, he has to be - gosh, I don't know where Rickie Fowler is on the Ryder Cup standings, but he's got to be up there, too," Watson said of Gooch.
"But I would have to say those two have been the impressive ones the last few weeks, just their high finishes and how they've been playing pretty much all year.
"If they're not already - if Rickie is not already in in points, he's definitely getting a pick, and Talor should definitely get a pick. He's playing that well, and he plays really good outside the US."
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Watson added that Gooch is very much a quiet man on his team, and just enjoys having his family with him while out playing golf.
"You know what, he's so quiet, he's so to himself. But having his family travel with him, being able to spend a lot of time with his family, being able to spend time with his young one, his in-laws, he's just down to earth, and he's just focused on the next shot," Watson added. "He's just been grinding out.
"Solid player, we've all known that, and for him to quietly jump ship out of nowhere to come over here because he loves team golf, it was cool to see."
Due to LIV Golf not receiving ranking points and Gooch not playing in PGA Tour events, he won't qualify through the USA Ryder Cup standings.
Like Brooks Koepka, who seems certain to qualify, and Dustin Johnson, who will be a big candidate for a pick, LIV players remain eligible for Ryder Cup selection.
For Gooch himself, he just wants to keep playing well to press his claims to be on the plane to Marco Simone Golf Club in September.
“The better I play, the more that is just going to be a discussion hopefully,” Gooch said after winning in Spain.
"I’ve got to go win, and I’ve got to go prove that I’m worthy of having a discussion about.”
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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
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