Here is the look at European Ryder Cup members, with their career Ryder Cup records in brackets. The players are listed in accordance to their final Ryder Cup points standing.
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Darren Clarke (3-4-0)-the cigar chomping Northern Irelander was the best European playing in Europe with two wins in 2001. Clarke has been inconsistent this year, with a victory, but only two other top-10s. While he is a long, straight hitter, Clarke can be suspect around the greens. He is capable of taking his game up a notch in pressure situations and will need to do so next week.
- Thomas Bjorn (1-0-1)-at the 2001 Dubai Desert Classic, this Dane was paired with Tiger Woods in all four rounds and emerged victorious by two strokes, a remarkable feat in this era. Bjorn has played well at recent majors and his recent play has been one of few bright spots on the European team. Although this is his second Ryder Cup, Bjorn will be looked up on as a leader of the team. The safe bet is he will come through.
- Padraig Harrington (1-1-1)-the vastly improved and still underrated Irish has three wins and 12 career second-place finishes. Harrington also leads the European PGA Tour in scoring average and is third on the money list there. His neck and ankle problems are a concern, but this gutsy golfer will play through. He had three top-10 finishes in four majors this year, and will be a star for the Euros in many more future Ryder Cups.
- Colin Montgomerie (12-7-4)-this veteran Scotsman is unbeaten 3-0-2 in singles and has long been Europe's stalwart. The critical variable is his wonky back, which forced him to withdraw from two recent tournaments. Last week, he reiterated his concern about the back and may not play if it doesn't hold up. Montgomerie will be counted on to lead this group of underdogs, but will he be healthy enough to play all five matches?
- Pierre Fulke (rookie)-the Swedish Ryder Cup rookie picked up bulk of his points in January of 2001 at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship with the runner-up finish. Fulke has only had three top-10s since, and his inconsistent play of late should worry captain Sam Torrance, who already has his share of out-of-form players.
- Lee Westwood (4-6-0)-this enigmatic talent from England has won 13 times on the European Tour but has gone winless in the last two years, not to mention dropping 116 spots on the World Golf Rankings. Westwood of late has shown some signs of recovering, but it would be too optimistic to assume that, by next week, Lee will be the same player that he was two years ago.
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