If Zach Johnson wanted his vice-captains to keep their cards close to their chests then Fred Couples obviously didn't get the memo as he casually revealed three players who are near-certain to make the Ryder Cup team regardless of automatic qualification.
Speaking on his own The Fred Couples Show on Sirius XFM PGA Tour Radio, Couples said that Max Homa, Cameron Young and Jordan Spieth would all "be in Italy" even if they didn't qualify automatically.
Those three players sit just outside the top six automatic places on the Team USA Ryder Cup standings so it would be no shock if they received wildcard picks from Johnson to play at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome.
They may even qualify by right given some big points are still on offer and USA qualifying runs until the end of the BMW Championship, the second event in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Scottie Scheffler is the first player to officially secure his place on the USA Ryder Cup team, with Major champions Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman and Brooks Koepka joined by Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay in the automatic places.
The next three names would all be expected to join them as wildcard picks, but it was still a shock move from Couples to basically say they'd all-but made it already.
“I’m like one of the 19 assistants, I’ll say Max Homa’s gonna be in Italy,” Couples said on his radio show. “I’ll say Max Homa’s gonna be in Italy, without getting anyone in trouble.
When asked about Young, Couples replied: “Cam Young will be in Italy.”
And the same went for Spieth when asked by co-host George Downing, with Couples again responding: “Will be in Italy.”
Justin Thomas is struggling to make the Ryder Cup team
Couples did stop short of commenting on Keegan Bradley, but if correct that means nine places already locked up with just three more to be settled between the likes of Bradley, Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Sam Burns, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau.
Fowler has had a huge resurgence this season to get back to winning ways and also challenging in Majors, while Johnson had a perfect record in the USA's stunning victory last time at Whistling Straits.
Thomas could be the biggest headache for Johnson, as he's got a superb Ryder Cup record but has been in poor form this season - missing the cut in three of the four Majors.
He's now playing two extra events in the next two weeks to try and make the FedEx Cup Playoffs and convince his captain that he can go to Rome in form - something Couples acknowledged.
“I’m glad he’s playing this week,” Couples said of Thomas. “The whole world knows that JT’s gotta go to, is it Minnesota, and then Greensboro? He’s gotta go to those places and play well.”
