Sept. 08--To little surprise, Zach Johnson was added to the United States' Ryder Cup team Tuesday.

U.S. team captain Corey Pavin made Cedar Rapids native Johnson one of his four at-large picks for his 12-player team. The other additions were Stewart Cink, Rickie Fowler and Tiger Woods. They join the eight players who qualified automatically via a 2-year point system. Included are Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker.

Johnson missed out on the 2008 Ryder Cup after playing for the Americans in Ireland in 2006. He has never made secret of his love of playing in the Ryder and Presidents Cups.

'Team play, team sports in general, it's really something that drives me as a competitor,' Johnson said Tuesday.

'And when you incorporate a team element and chemistry into golf, it makes it just that much more special.

'Having your nation's flag on your sleeve and being led by Captain Pavin and his associates, just, you know, makes it that much more special. So I thank you (captains) and I thank you for trusting in me and knowing that I'm going to go out there and play really hard. I'm excited and I cannot wait until October.' The Ryder Cup will be contested Oct. 1-3 at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales.

Johnson has just two Top Ten finishes on the PGA Tour this year, but they were eyeopeners. He won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in May for his seventh Tour victory. Last month in Wisconsin, he tied for third in the PGA Championship, missing a playoff by one shot.

He since tied for 21st and tied for 30th in the first two FedExCup playoff events and is 17th in the playoff standings. The top 30 in the standings after this week's BMW Championship in Lemont, Ill., advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta in two weeks.

Johnson, 34, brings a noteworthy amount of experience to the Ryder Cup. Besides playing in that event in '06, he was on victorious U.S. Presidents Club squads in 2007 and 2009.

'There's a point where I have to make a call on who I think can handle the pressure over there,' Pavin said. 'You know, obviously Zach, Stewart and Tiger have played overseas ... It came down to a judgment call on all those guys to see in my own opinion if they can go over there, play well, and help the team be a better team.' After Monday's final round of the Deutsche Bank Classic near Boston, Johnson talked about his hopes of getting picked by Pavin.

'I want to be on the team and I think Corey wants someone who hits fairways and greens and is a pretty good putter,' he said. 'I'm a grinder. I want that 10-footer to win a match.'

-- Comments: (319) 368-8840; mike.hlas@gazcomm.com

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