Jun. 28—After winning the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, former Baylor School and University of Georgia golfing standout Harris English mentioned a spot on the Ryder Cup team as his primary goal for 2021.
English served up another emphatic case for making Steve Stricker’s 12-member squad by winning this past weekend’s Travelers Championship in Cromwell Connecticut. Becoming the first PGA Tour player to claim two events in 2021, the former Baylor boarding student from Valdosta, Georgia, vaulted to second in the FedEx Cup standings and to a career-best world ranking of No. 12, including ninth among American players.
“I think this is a validation win,” English said Sunday night on a Zoom call. “It took me seven years before winning this year in Maui, and I think this is a validation of where my game is right now. The Ryder Cup is where I want to play. I love Steve Stricker, and I know he’s the captain this year.
“That’s what I miss about playing golf at the University of Georgia. I miss that team atmosphere, and that’s the pinnacle of our sport — to represent your country and to play in one of the biggest tournaments in the world.”
English, who rose to No. 17 in the world with his Sentry triumph, has climbed to eighth in the Ryder Cup points standings after residing in 13th last week.
After last year’s Ryder Cup was postponed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the PGA of America announced that Stricker would get six captain’s picks for the Sept. 24-26 event at Whistling Straights in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The first six selections will be based off the Ryder Cup standings following the BMW Championship, the second of the three FedEx Cup playoff events, on Aug. 26-29, with Stricker then making his picks after the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
English is giving Stricker plenty to think about, with his Travelers title following a third-place showing at the U.S. Open.
“I still need to keep playing well and keep showing Strick that I deserve to be on the team,” English said. “I’m looking forward to having a chance, and we’ll see what happens.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.