4C
SPORTS/!E::^e Clarlotte $o0t
Thursday, September 21, 2006
TEAM USA
CHAD CAMPBELL
• Age; 32,
• World ranking: 20.
• Ryder Cups: 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 1-2-0.
• PGA Tour victories: 3.
• Majors: None.
STEWART CINK
• Age: 33.
• World ranking: 23.
• Ryder Cups: 2002, 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 2-4-1.
• PGA Tour victories: 4.
• Majors: None.
CHRIS DIMARCO
•Age: 38.
• World ranking: 15.
• Ryder Cups: 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 2-1-1
• PGA Tour victories: 3.
• Majors: None.
JIM FURYK
• Age: 36.
• World ranking: 2.
• Ryder Cups: 1997, 1999, 2002,
2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 4-9-2.
• PGA Tour victories: 12.
• Majors: 1.
J.J. HENRY
•Age: 31.
• World ranking: 62.
• Ryder Cups: Rookie.
• Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0.
• PGA Tour victories: 1.
• Majors: None.
ZACH JOHNSON
• Age: 30.
• World ranking: 40.
• Ryder Cups: Rookie.
• Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0.
• PGA Tour victories: 1.
• Majors: None.
PHIL MICKELSON
•Age: 36.
•World ranking: 3.
• Ryder Cups: 1995, 1997, 1999,
2002, 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 9-8-3.
• PGA Tour victories: 29.
• Majors: 3.
VAUGHN TAYLOR
•Age: 30.
• World ranking: 59.
• Ryder Cups: Rookie.
• Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0.
• PGA Tour victories: 2.
• Majors: None.
DAVID TOMS
• Age: 39.
• World ranking: 14.
• Ryder Cups: 2002, 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 4-3-1.
• PGA Tour victories; 12.
• Majors: 1.
SCOTT VERPLANK
• Age: 42.
• World ranking: 34.
• Ryder Cups: 2002.
• Ryder Cup record: 2-1-0.
• PGA Tour victories: 4.
• Majors: None.
BRETT WETTERICH
• Age: 33.
• World ranking: 65.
• Ryder Cups: Rookie.
• Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0.
• PGA Tour victories: 1.
• Majors; None.
TIGER WOODS
• Age: 30.
•World ranking: 1.
• Ryder Cups: 1997,1999, 2002,
2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 7-11-2.
• PGA Tour victories: 53.
• Majors: 12.
2006 RYDER CUP PREVIEW
WHO HAS THE
EDGE
BYSTANAWTREY
Cox News Service
Atlanta
On Monday morning
24 of the best golfers in
the world win arrive m
Dublin, Ireland, for the
Ryder Cup, a bienniel
event that has managed
to grow in stature and
Importance even though
no prize money is at
stake.
The European team
• has won the last two
competitions and four of J
the last five. AU 23 bet
ting services posted at
oddschecker.com, have
the Europeans favored,
typically at 5-to-6 odds.
But since golf is such a
unique sport with nu
merous variables, a case
can be made for either ^
I' team as they compete,
Sept 22-24at K CluSi-' '1
outside Dublin. *
Cox News Service
Tiger Woods has been on a such a hot streak lately that he may be able to single handedly
lead the U.S. team to a victory in the 36th Ryder Cup.
Why the United States will win I Why the Europeans will win
1. Tiger Woods is actively engaged
in the process and wants to win.
Never before has the world’s No.1
player been so fired-up about the
Ryder Cup, Despite his first-roUnd
loss in the World Match Play
Championships, would anyone be
surprised if he won all five of his
matches?
2. Tom Lehman is properly
handing the captaincy. Unlike Hai
Sutton and his “bag of hammers”
approach, Lehman has gone about
the job the right way. He’s talked to
the players throughout the selection
process and is a calming influence.
3. The pressure is off. For the first
time, the Americans are the
underdogs. They can approach the
matches with a nothing-to-lose
attitude, which should reduce the
tension early in the week.
4. There’s a rash of dissension
among the Europeans. Colin
Montgomerie was yammering at
Jose Maria Olazabal. Thomas Bjorn
had some harsh words about not
being a captain’s choice. And captain
Ian Woosnam is a wee ticked about
former European captain Bernhard
Langer offering advice to Lehman.
Unity, always a European strength,
seems to be eroding.
5. The rookies will be assets, not liabilities. Zach
Johnson, Brett Wetterich, J.J, Henry and Vaughn
Taylor have all won on the PGA Tour. What they’re
missing is a losing history in regards to the Ryder
Cup; they’ve never been on the losing team.
FAQSAND FIGURES
• Event: 36th Ryder Cup
matches.
• Dates: Sept. 22-24,
• Venue: The K Club (Palmer
Course).
• Defending champion:
Europe.
• Series: U.S. leads, 24-9-2.
• Streaking; Europe has won
four of the last five times.
• Format; Four foursomes
(alternate shot) and four
fourballs (better ball) matches
each of the first two days.
Twelve 18-hole singles matches
on Sunday. One point for each
victory, a half-point for a tie.
Because Europe holds the cup,
it needs only 14 points to win.
• Captains: Tom Lehman
(United States), Ian Woosnam
(Europe).
• Television (all times EDT):
Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., USA
Network. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6
p.m., NBC Sports. Sunday. 7
a.m. to 12:30 p.m., NBC Sports.
1. Europe has won five of the
last six matches contested
overseas. The last time the U.S.
won a road match was 1993 at
the Belfry. Think Alabama wants
to lose to Auburn in Tuscaloosa?
Same thing.
2. The crowds will be battier
than ever, with Ireland’s national
pride at stake. The presence of
three Irishmen (Paul McGinley,
Darren Clarke and Padraig
Harrington) should also stoke the
jingoistic tones of the galleries.
3. The Europeans have
uncovered several successful
pairings over the years and are
likely to keep them together.
Clarke and Lee Westwood —
both captains choices — are 4-2
when paired together,
Montgomerie and Harrington are
3-1.
4. This is a major championship
in the mind of Montgomerie.
He’s never closed the deal at the
Masters, the U.S. Open, the
British Open or the PGA, but he’s
deadly in the Ryder Cup. He’s 19-
8-5 overall and 5-0-2 in singles.
His victims include David Toms,
Scott Hoch, Payne Stewart, Ben
Crenshaw and Lee Janzen. You don’t want to meet
Montie on the teebox on Sunday.
5.The win-one-for Darren campaign. All golf fans
are aware that Clarke's wife, Heather, succumbed
to breast cancer a month ago. This could turn into a
misguided, although effective, motivational factor.
TEAM EUROPE
PAUL CASEY
• Age; 29. • Country: England.
•World ranking: 27.
• Ryder Cups: 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 1-1-0.
• Career victories: 6.
• Majors: None.
DARREN CLARKE
• Age: 38. • Country: Northern Ireland.
• World ranking: 21.
• Ryder Cups: 1997,1999, 2002, 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 7-7-3.
• Career victories: 15.
• Majors; Majors.
LUKE DONALD
• Age: 28. • Country: England.
• World ranking: 10.
• Ryder Cups: 2004
• Ryder Cup record: 2-1-1.
• Career victories; 4.
• Majors: None.
SERGIO GARCIA
• Age: 26. • Country: Spain.
•World ranking: 8.
• Ryder Cups: 1999, 2002, 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 10-3-2.
• Career victories: 13.
• Majors: None.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON
• Age: 35, • Country: Ireland.
• World ranking: 17.
• Ryder Cups: 1999, 2002, 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 7-4-1.
• Career victories: 14.
• Majors: None.
DAVID HOWELL
• Age: 31. • Country: England.
• World ranking: 12.
• Ryder Cups: 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 1 -1 -0.
• Career victories: 5.
• Majors: None.
ROBERT KARLSSON
• Age: 37. • Country: Sweden.
• World ranking: 44.
• Ryder Cups: Rookie,
• Ryder Cup record: O-O-O.
• Career victories: 7.
• Majors: None.
PAUL MCGINELY
• Age: 39, • Country: Ireland.
• World ranking: 52.
• Ryder Cups: 2002, 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 2-1 -3.
• Career victories: 8.
• Majors: None.
COLIN MONTGOMERIE
• Age: 43. • Country: Scotland.
• World ranking: 16.
• Ryder Cups: 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997,
1999, 2002, 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 19-8-5.
• Career victories: 33.
• Majors: None.
JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL
• Age; 40. • Country: Spain.
• World ranking: 18.
•Ryder Cups: 1987, 1989, 1991,1993,
1997, 1999.
• Ryder Cup record: 15-8-5.
• Career victories: 29.
• Majors: Masters (1994,1999).
HENRIK STENSON
• Age: 30. • Country: Sweden.
• World ranking: 11.
• Ryder Cups: Rookie.
• Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0.
•Career victories: 4.
• Majors: None.
LEE WESTWOOD
• Age: 33. • Country: England.
• World ranking: 47.
• Ryder Cups: 1997,1999, 2002, 2004.
• Ryder Cup record: 11 -8-1.
•Career victories: 26.
• Majors: None
HOLE-BY-HOLE
Hole Yards Par Cornment
Most players will use a fairway metal and aim toward the bunker down the left side.
An easy birdie hole, as long as the tee shot can avoid small fairway bunker on the left.
Anything long might find a bunker behind the green, which wilt make for a tough par.
Any tee shot too far to the right will require^a fade around another group of trees.
The prevailing wind is left to right and into the player, so a draw would be ideal off the tee.
Anything in the rough likely will make it tough to get the second shot over the water. '
A small bunker is between the water and the green, which has a slope in the middle.
An elongated bunker approaches the green on the left and is the true strength of this hole.
Two bunkers are short and right of the green, and another one is to the left.
A slight dogleg, but otherwise a par 5 that can be reached in two by the big hitters.
There’s a sharp dogleg to the right, with trees lining the preferred left side .of the fairway.
The putting surface has two tiers and slopes from the right to the left.
Any drive should go about 270 yards to get a good look at the green.
A strong par 3 v/ith no gimmicks. The prevailing wind is into the player’s face.
It doesn’t look like much from the tee, but birdies might be rare.
The green is some 4,0 yards long, allowing for plenty of hole locations.
Perhaps no other tee shot will jangle the nerves ks much.
The shortest of the par 5s, but it might be the toughest because of the pressure.
Out: Par: 35; Yardage: 3.551. In: Par: 37; Yardage: 3,784. Total: Par: 72; Yardage: 7,335.
1
418
2
413-
3
170
4
568
5
440
6
478
7
430
8
173
9,
461
10
584
11
450
12
182
13
428
14
213
15
446
16
555
17
424
18
537
PAST RESULTS
Year winner Site
2004 Europe Oakland Hills CC, Bloomiield Township, Ml
2002 Europe Sutton Coldfield, England
1999 USA The Country Club, Brookline, MA
1997 Europe Valderrama GC, Sotogrande Spain
1995 Europe Oak Hill CC. Rochester. NY
1993 USA The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, Eng
1991 USA The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, S.C.
1989 Tie The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, Eng
1987 Europe Muirfield Village GC, Dublin, Ohio
1985 Europe The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, Eng
. ■ .pi^ Beach Gdns, Fla.
Walton Health GC. Surrey, England
The Greenbrier,W. Va
Royal Lytham & St. Annes, England
Laurel Valley GC, Ligonier, Pa.
Muirfield, Scotland
Old Warson CC, St. Louis, Mo.
Royal Birkdale GC, Southport, Eng
Champions GC, Houston, Texas
Royal Birkdale GC, Southport, Eng
East Lake QC, Atlanta, Ga.
Royal Lytham & St. Annes, England
Eldorado CC, Palm Desert, Calif.
Lindrick GC, Yorkshire, England
Thunderbird CC, PIm Springs, Calif.
Wentworth GC, Wentworth, England
Pinehurst CC, Pinehurst, N.C.
Ganton GC, Scarborough, England
Portland Golf Club, Portland, Ore.
No Matches played due to World War II
1937 USA Southport & Ainsdale GC, England
1935 USA Ridgewood CC, Ridgewood, N.J.
1933 GB Southport & Ainsdale GC, England
1931 USA Scioto CC, Columbus, Ohio
1929 GB Moortown GC, Leeds, England
1927 USA Worcester CC, Worcester, Mass.
1983
1981
1979
1977
1975
1973
1971
1969
1967
1965
1963
1961
1959
1957
1955
1953
1951
1949
1947
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
Tie
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
GB
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
9 1/2
12 1/2
14 1/2
13 1/2
131/2
15
Europe/GB
18 1/2
15 1/2
131/2
14 1/2
141/2
13
14 1/2 131/2
11 1/2
14 1/2
18 1/2
231/2
191/2
23
141/2
8 1/2
41/2
8
6 1/2
91/2
161/2
131/2
9 1/2
8 1/2
121/2
9
91/2
31/2
71/2
4
5 1/2
21/2
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate for Cox News Service. (800) 255-6734. 'For release the week of Sept. 11, 2006