The USGA had delayed naming the last two members of their team until after the US Amateur Open which concluded last Sunday.

Thompson reached the final before losing out to Colt Knost. Game, set and match for sure you would have thought. However, it is never that easy to read the minds of the selectors in any sport.

Kyle Stanley and Rickie Fowler were both picked despite that fact that neither made it past the second round.

Already on the team was Webb Simpson whom Thompson trounced by 5 and 3 in the first round!

Other first round losers Billy Horschel and Dustin Johnson were picked before the tournament, along with Chris Kirk, who got thumped 7 and 6 in the second round.

Trip Kuehne and Jonathan Moore were selected even though they weren't even in the matchplay.

Indeed, Thompson must be wondering why the selectors bothered waiting until after the U.S. Amateur Open to name their final two if they were going to ignore the results completely.

The message from last week's US Amateur is that a very young American team can be beaten, even at home, by their own colleagues in college golf. This has to give the home side added courage going into the contest.

AMEN CORNER GOLF TIP OF THE WEEK

Pitch, chip or putt with Emmanuel Riblet, Golf Pro, Premier Golf, Santry Around the green making the right decision on whether to pitch, chip or putt is crucial if you hope to complete a good round.

A pitch is a lofted shot with the ball spending longer in the air than on the ground. When chipping your wrists remain locked and the ball spends more time running along the ground than in the air.

If the grass is tightly cut and the path to the hole is clear, you should try to putt when playing from off the green. This will give you maximum control and a better chance of getting the ball into the hole.

If there is a clump of grass behind the ball use a chip to propel the ball towards the hole, whereas a pitch shot is more suited for when you need to carry a feature such as a bunker or gully.

HOLE-IN-ONE CLUB WINNERS

The winner of this week's hole-inone competition and the prize of a Ping collection polo shirt, a fourball in Druids Glen & in Druids Heath plus a lesson with a PGA Pro is John McCarty (handicap 18) who recorded his ace on the 17th Hole at Portarlington GC. Runners-up, who receive six golf balls, ball marker and pitch repair kit are:

Liam Minihan (12), 5th Castletroy Barry O'Leary (16), 3rd Dun Laoghaire Marie Callaghan (32), 11th Narin & Portnoo Donal O'Dovovan (16), 5th Lisselam Paul Cox (5), 14th Strandhill Stephen McCaffrey (20), 3rd Dublin City Terence O'Connor (20), 14th Dunmore Raymond Danne (7), 5th Baltinglass Des Cheevers (11), 3rd Castle Dargan