US skipper Azinger will dial 13 for a hotline to absent Tiger

The eight players who had already qualified for the American squad were Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, Ben Curtis, Justin Leonard and Boo Weekley. With the addition of his picks, Azinger will be fielding six Ryder Cup rookies compared with the four in Nick Faldo's European team that will be seeking a sixth win in seven matches.

Of Azinger's wild cards, Stricker was an obvious choice after finishing ninth in the qualifying race. But at the age of 41, he will be playing in his first Ryder Cup.

Holmes is one of the biggest hitters in golf and a two-time winner on the US PGA Tour, adding his second title earlier this year in the FBR Open when he birdied the last hole and then beat Mickelson in a play-off. The 26-year-old will also be a crowd favourite, having grown up in Kentucky, and he probably knows Valhalla better than any other Cup player. "He's a bomber and I like his personality," said Azinger.

Mahan, also 26, had to overcome a magazine interview in which he slammed the extravagance of the Ryder Cup, claimed the unpaid players were "slaves" and insisted that PGA of America officials did not care who won just as long as they made money. He later apologized to Azinger and the captain clearly bears no grudges. Azinger said: "Hunter is a terrific ball striker and he hits a lot of greens in regulation.

If there was a surprise in Azinger's selection, then it was 34-year-old Campbell who finished a lowly 20th in the qualifying table but who could claim previous Ryder Cup caps.

Azinger said: "Chad had experience, so I knew he was the right guy."