United States Ryder Cup captain Curtis Strange named Scott Verplank and Paul Azinger as his two wild-card selections today for next month's showdown with Europe at The Belfry.
Azinger, the 1993 U.S. PGA champion, will be playing his fourth Ryder Cup while Verplank, 37, will be taking part in his first.
Azinger, 41, boasts an overall Ryder Cup record of 5-6-2 in 13 previous matches against Europe and is one of the most experienced players on Strange's team.
Verplank was 14th on the final U.S. Ryder Cup standings and finished joint seventh in the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club on Sunday.
Both Azinger and Verplank have had to fight back from illness and injury to claim their 2001 Ryder Cup places.
Verplank, a diabetic, had to undergo elbow surgery in 1991, 1992 and 1996 while Azinger, after a highly successful season in 1993, was diagnosed with lymphoma in his right shoulder later that same year.
U.S. Ryder Cup team: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Mark Calcavecchia, David Toms, Davis Love, Scott Hoch, Jim Furyk, Hal Sutton, Stewart Cink, Scott Verplank, Paul Azinger.