Ryder Cup Preview--(UPDATE)

The 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky is a week away, and Team USA will be looking to win for the first time since 1999. The European squad has one three in a row and five of the last six dating back to 1995. With Tiger Woods out, the Americans will look for some new faces to provide a much needed boost if they are to reclaim the Cup. Here is a breakdown of the two teams: (* denotes captain's pick)

Course: Valhalla Golf Club (http://www.rydercup.com/2008/usa/course/courses/index.html); Louisville Kentucky.

Team USA:
Captain: Paul Azinger
Phil Mickelson
Stewart Cink
Kenny Perry
Jim Furyk
Anthony Kim
Justin Leonard
Ben Curtis
Boo Weekley
Chad Campbell*
J.B. Holmes*
Hunter Mahan*
Steve Stricker*

Team Europe:
Captain: Nick Faldo
Sergio Garcia
Henrik Stenson
Soren Hansen
Padraig Harrington
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Robert Karlsson
Graeme McDowell
Justin Rose
Lee Westwood
Oliver Wilson
Ian Poulter*
Paul Casey*

First, I follow golf as much as I can, but I am certainly not entirely familiar with every player up here on a detailed basis. That being said, if the Americans win, a big reason will be the play of Anthony Kim. Kim is only 23 years old and in his first Ryder Cup, but he is as talented as anyone else in the field. He also has a cockiness about him that should payoff for the team. Kim is flamboyant, and that should provide a boost to some of the more solemn veterans. He has two wins this year (Wachovia and AT&T), and Azinger would be wise to pair him with a veteran, perhaps Kenny Perry who will be playing on his home turf.

Hunter Mahan is another talented young player for the Americans who will be making his Ryder Cup debut at Valhalla. Mahan is only 26, and he has only one tour victory to his name ('07 Travelers), but he has shown enough ability to be named as one of Azinger's four captain's picks. Azinger pressed for a change to the selection process when he was named captain, and he was rewarded with two additional captain's picks and a system that basis Ryder Cup points more on the money list in order to try and get players in who are hot right now. Time will tell if this new system will reap the ultimate prize.

The US will also need some of the veterans who have struggled in past Ryder Cups to step up to the tee and deliver. Jim Furyk is the model of consistency when it comes to hitting fairways and greens, and he has had some success in being paired with Tiger Woods in past President Cups. With Woods out, Azinger will have to find another partner for Furyk. One possibility could be J.B. Holmes who can drive the ball as far as anyone, but who sometimes has problems with accuracy and putting. If Holmes knows that Furyk will be in the fairway consistently, he might be able to let loose and try and give them some advantage with his distance. Furyk will be relied on to make some putts, however, and I get nervous every time I see him back away from a little three footer. Furyk is one of those guys who does not exude a ton of confidence as it seems as though he is always second guessing his instincts. Since Holmes is a bluegrass native, Azinger might pair him with fellow Kentuckian Kenny Perry. A Holmes/Perry group would certainly have the home crowd in its corner, and this could help them rally through any tough patches. Either way, Perry and Furyk would be good to pair with one of the young guns to give the Americans balance.

Phil Mickelson is the only player on the American roster with a winning Ryder Cup record at 9-8-3. Mickelson can be a total loose cannon on the course in that you never know for sure what you are going to get. He has all the tools, but his accuracy off the tee has hurt him throughout his career. Finding a player to team with Mickelson could be difficult because Azinger will have to find someone with the right temperament to deal with all things Phil. Stewart Cink would be an intriguing choice given Cink's more laid back attitude and his ability to steady a trying round. No matter who gets paired with Phil, the Americans will need him to have a winning Ryder Cup if they want any chance.

One interesting captain's pick was Steve Stricker whose career was nearly finished in 2006 as his game had lost him. Stricker bounced back and has emerged as a top player again, but I would worry about his ability to handle pressure situations. Stricker,41,is making his Ryder Cup debut, and he has only two tour wins since 2001. I would have liked to seen Azinger go with another young player in DJ Trahan here, but Trahan's play had been somewhat shaky in the weeks leading up to the selection process. Trahan is still loaded with talent, and it would have been nice to see even more fresh blood injected into the team.

It should also be fun to watch Ben Curtis and Boo Weekley who are both fan favorites. Weekley carries himself as someone who is just out for 18 holes on a Sunday morning. He does not seem to let the moment get too big for him, and that should help in handling the pressure that comes with playing in the Ryder Cup. Curtis is a guy who wears NFL apparel that coincides with the location of the course. He is another player who seems to enjoy himself on the course, and he has also had some notable success in his career (2003 British Open). Weekley and Curtis would be an exciting pairing, and one the fans would truly enjoy.

(UPDATE: I thought about it, and if I had to pick the 6 pairings for Team USA they would be: Mickelson/Cink; Furyk/Kim; Perry/Holmes; Weekley/Curtis; Leonard/Mahan; and Stricker/Campbell)

Team Europe is loaded with talent, and while many experts have tried to figure out why they have been so successful in Ryder Cups, the truth may be as simple as the fact that the Europeans are just better. The talk always revolves around the camaraderie and emotion the Europeans show on and off the course, but perhaps it would be better to just focus in on their play from tee to green. All of their players are terrific ball strikers, and their accuracy helps them have a chance to win every hole. There will be a couple of familiar faces not on the team, however, and maybe that can make a difference in this year's cup.

Sergio Garcia has been an American killer in past Ryder Cups, and his record shows (14-4-2). Garcia is one of the best players in the world right now, and he has been in contention in just about every tournament he has entered this summer. He has had well documented problems with his flat stick throughout his career, but it is tough to find a better iron player on the tour. His putting problems are the only reason he has yet to win a major, but he has been better on the greens this year, and he should win several majors in the future. These problems certainly have not emerged in Ryder Cup play, and he will again be the leader if Europe wins again. It is not yet known who he will pair with, but Lee Westwood could be a likely choice given their success together in the 2002 Cup. The Garcia/Westwood team went 3-1 over the first two days in '02, defeating teams of Duval/Love III, Woods/Calcavecchia, and Cink/Furyk. Westwood is available too given that his favorite playing partner, Darren Clarke, was left off of this year's team.

The omission of Clarke by Nick Faldo came as a surprise to many, including those in the American media who suggested the Americans find a way to get Clarke on Team USA. Clarke is known as being a great teammate on and off the course, and his laid back lifestyle helped keep the team loose when they were not playing. Faldo went instead with Ian Poulter who is supposedly difficult to play with. It certainly doesn't sound like Poulter will provide the same kind of life and energy that Clarke brought to the table, and if team chemistry means anything in golf, this could be a break for America. Add to it the fact that Clarke is 10-7-3 in past Ryder Cups, and you can be assured that the US will be glad when they don't see him standing on the tee.

Everyone who follows sports should know the name Padraig Harrington by now. Harrington has won the past two British Opens and this year's PGA Championship. He is another great iron player, and he has shown an ability to hit clutch putts on the biggest of stages. Harrington has struggled some down the stretch, as his play in the FedEx Cup events has been poor to say the least. Harrington has played in the past four Ryder Cups, and his results have been mixed. He is 7-8-2 in those events, but he has never played in a Cup following a season like the one had this year. He will also be without his familiar playing partner in Colin Montgomerie who was also left off the roster by Faldo. Montgomerie has always lived for the Ryder Cup, but his play has been down the past few years, and Faldo did not see fit to have in on the team. Miguel Angel Jiminez could be a possible partner for Harrington, but the two have not been paired together since 1999 when they went 0-1-1. Henrik Stenson also has a history with Harrington, playing with him in the 2006 Cup. Stenson is another superb ball striker, and if paired with Harrington, that team could be the most dangerous in the field. Stenson's only Ryder Cup experience was in '06 when he went 1-1-1, and he lost the only time he was paired with Harrington, 2 and 1 to Scott Verplank and Zach Johnson. Either way, any team with Harrington on it will be a daunting task for the Americans to overcome.

It should be an exciting event, and hopefully the Americans can keep it closer than they have in each of the last two Ryder Cups, losing 18.5-9.5 in both. There is a ton of young talent on the rise in the American ranks, but I just don't think it will be enough to take the Cup back this year. Unless Kim and Mickelson can dominate (which is possible), I look for the Europeans to be celebrating for a fourth straight time. EUROPE 15-13.