Phil Mickelson earns Ryder Cup slot

— -- LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Phil Mickelson played his way onto his 10th U.S. Ryder Cup team by finishing second at the PGA Championship on Sunday, moving to the fifth spot among the nine automatic qualifiers who were determined at the end of the tournament.

Mickelson, 44, has played on every U.S. Ryder Cup team dating to 1995 and has never needed a captain's pick.

In fact, Mickelson also has played in every Presidents Cup dating to 1994, when he needed his only captain's pick over the past 20 years.

He bumped out defending PGA champion Jason Dufner, who withdrew Thursday with a neck injury. Zach Johnson, who finished tied for 70th, held on to the final spot.

The players were determined by a points race that included only the major championships in 2013 and all PGA Tour events this year based on money earnings.

U.S. captain Tom Watson will have three at-large selections to make Sept. 2. The Ryder Cup begins Sept. 26 at Gleneagles in Scotland, and the U.S. has not won on foreign soil since 1993 -- when Watson was last the captain. Since winning the competition in 1999, the only U.S. victory came in 2008 at Valhalla.

The automatic qualifiers are Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Jimmy Walker, Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Johnson. Walker, Spieth and Reed will be Ryder Cup rookies.

The closest who did not qualify were Dufner, Ryan Moore, Brendon Todd and Keegan Bradley.