Report: Bubba Watson invited to Ryder Cup team practice at Hazeltine

Bubba Watson is hoping to represent the U.S. in the Ryder Cup. (Getty Images)

Bubba Watson isn’t part of the U.S. Ryder Cup team yet, but he will be practicing this week alongside members of the team at host venue Hazeltine National.

Golf Channel reports Watson will join a half-dozen American team members at an informal practice over the weekend.

On Monday, U.S. captain Davis Love III announced J.B. Holmes, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar were three of his four wild-card picks for the 12-player team. They finished Nos. 10-12 in automatic qualifying, with Love skipping over Watson, who finished ninth and first man out of an automatic spot.

While a reading of the tea leaves and Love’s remarks on Monday suggested Watson may not earn the final pick made on Sept. 25 during halftime of NBC’s Sunday Night Football game (they also broadcast the Ryder Cup), this could be a sign that Watson still has a good chance to get that final nod.

“I told Bubba after the Olympics, remember, there’s a pick after the Tour Championship,” Love said he told Watson, according to Tim Rosaforte.

Love said that potential Ryder Cup players competing in next week’s PGA Tour season finale, the Tour Championship, shouldn’t consider the event a four-round tryout for a Ryder Cup spot. However, Rosaforte reported Watson could land a pick with a good finish at East Lake, a golf course he has said he doesn’t really like. He has two fifth-place finishes in the 30-player event in the last five years.

The 2016 Ryder Cup runs Sept. 30 – Oct. 2.

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