Captain Stricker of the US Ryder Cup has six choices for the team to confront Europe at Whistling Straits

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Stricker (left) and Harrington were both Vice Captains of Ryder Cup before popping up this year

Steve Stricker will select half of this year's Ryder Cup team from the United States after the PGA of America changes in the qualifying process has applied.

The US captain makes six selections to add to six who qualify through a points system – the team usually has eight qualifications and four wildcards.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to the cancellation of qualifying events and a change in the American selection criteria.

The US plays Europe from September 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

"With all the different changes to the 2020 schedule, it quickly became clear that we should change our selection criteria," Stricker said.

"We agreed that a smaller sample of 2020 events – including only one major event (the US PGA Championship August 6-9) – extended for a week with qualifying window and an increase of the captain's selections from four to six. "

The BMW Championship, which closes on August 30, marks the limit for points accumulated during the American selection season for the Ryder Cup.

Europe is the defending champion who won the biennial tournament in France in 2018.

This year's captain, Padraig Harrington, has four wildcard picks to add to eight who qualify through a points system.

The PGA Tour resumed on Thursday with the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, the first event after a three-month hiatus from the corona virus crisis.

It is the first of five PGA Tour events to take place behind closed doors.

There will be live text and radio broadcast on the BBC Sport website for all four days of the tournament.

Analysis

BBC Sports Golf Correspondent Iain Carter

After weeks of negativity about the prospects for the Ryder Cup in September, this announcement indicates that the organizers remain hopeful that it can happen .

Stricker was the man who said last week it would be a crime if the game were played without fans. He now exercises enormous power over the composition of the American team, as half of it will be offset by his selections.

With the re-play resumed in the United States, the PGA of America will oversee the success of upcoming tournaments, and in particular the July commemorative event with some spectators attending.

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