Rosters for the 37th Ryder Cup

European team

Padraig Harrington
Age: 37
Ryder Cup: 5th team
Overall record: 7-8-2
Of note: Nine of his 13 team matches have been alongside Colin Montgomerie and Paul McGinley, neither of whom is in the lineup, so getting him into a comfort zone is a task. Has not been in good form since winning season's last two majors.

Sergio Garcia
Age: 28
Ryder Cup: 5th team
Overall record: 14-4-2
Of note: Precocious and thin-skinned, but there's no denying he can flat-out play. Perhaps the purest ball-striker around, he has also embraced this event, following in the footsteps of Seve Ballesteros and Colin Montgomerie.

Lee Westwood
Age: 35
Ryder Cup: 6th team
Overall record: 14-8-3
Of note: Ranks as the most experienced player on either team, yet he'd prefer that Colin Montgomerie or Darren Clarke be in attendance. Still, he will assume a leadership role made easier if Sergio Garcia accompanies him for at least two matches.

Henrik Stenson
Age: 32
Ryder Cup: 2d team
Overall record: 1-1-1
Of note: Splendid talent with an on-course demeanor that doesn't provide any indication of how he's playing. While the Americans have talked of their great prowess off the tee, this Swede doesn't take a back seat in that department.

Robert Karlsson
Age: 39
Ryder Cup: 2d team
Overall record: 0-1-2
Of note: Like his fellow Swede, Henrik Stenson, there's no lack of power with the tall and lanky Karlsson, but don't think his talent stops there. Instead, take note that he finished top 10 in three majors this season and was T-20 in the fourth.

Miguel Angel Jiménez
Age: 44
Ryder Cup: 3d team
Overall record: 2-5-2
Of note: He has certainly walked a different route than others in Ryder Cup history. His debut came as an assistant to captain Seve Ballesteros in 1997. Jiménez then earned his way onto the 1999 and 2004 teams, though he's not someone around whom a pairing will be built.

Graeme McDowell
Age: 29
Ryder Cup: Rookie
Overall record: NA
Of note: There's been a Ryder Cup buzz about a Northern Irishman this year, but it's been Darren Clarke's absence, not McDowell's presence. Low profile in the US, but he's well respected in European golf circles and for good reason. He can play.

Justin Rose
Age: 28
Ryder Cup: Rookie
Overall record: NA
Of note: Though he plays mainly in the US, he showed character by going to Europe for two tournaments in August to secure an automatic bid. Terrific player with great demeanor, his flashes of brilliance have been negated by an inability to close the job.

Soren Hansen
Age: 34
Ryder Cup: Rookie
Overall record: NA
Of note: His only European Tour wins came in 2002 and he's finished inside the top 50 in a major just once in eight tries, so, yes, he could be viewed as a weak link. That's why it would be a surprise to see him in more than one match before Sunday singles.

Oliver Wilson
Age: 28
Ryder Cup: Rookie
Overall record: NA
Of note: For a player who can't lay claim to any professional victory of note, there's quite a bit of positive feedback from players and those within European golf circles. Still, he's truly untested and it wouldn't figure he factors into more than two matches.

Paul Casey
Age: 31
Ryder Cup: 3d team
Overall record: 3-1-2
Of note: Though he's making a third appearance, this time it's as a captain's pick and he concedes that provides a different measure of pressure. Well liked and quite talented, he owns eight European victories and a ton of confidence.

Ian Poulter
Age: 32
Ryder Cup: 2d team
Overall record: 1-1-0
Of note: Figures to be a steady story line, given that his presence here could be viewed as having come at the expense of the wildly popular Darren Clarke. Still, he's got talent; it just can't seem to match his level of confidence.

US team

Phil Mickelson
Age: 38
Ryder Cup: 7th team
Overall record: 9-8-3
Of note: Clearly the most experienced American player, but will that translate into coveted leadership? If it does, it might be a byproduct of Tiger Woods's absence, providing the lefthander with added incentive to step it up.

Stewart Cink
Age: 35
Ryder Cup: 4th team
Overall record: 3-5-4
Of note: Easygoing and versatile, he provides American captain Paul Azinger plenty of options with partners and format. But his face never pops into your mind when you think of fiery competitors in big-time tournaments.

Kenny Perry
Age: 48
Ryder Cup: 2d team
Overall record: 0-2-0
Of note: In his 22d year on the PGA Tour, it took his passion for making this Ryder Cup in his native state - more important than the US Open and British Open, he said - to finally put him in the spotlight. He concedes it has also put him under great pressure.

Jim Furyk
Age: 38
Ryder Cup: 6th
Overall record: 6-12-2
Of note: For such a consistent performer, his Ryder Cup record is inexplicable, especially going 1-6-1 in four-ball. Had settled in nicely alongside Tiger Woods, so it's back to mix and match and that has never served him well.

Anthony Kim
Age: 23
Ryder Cup: Rookie
Overall record: NA
Of note: With two wins already, this youngster is the widely acclaimed "next big thing" in American golf. Long and straight, explosive and good under pressure, the California kid's cool, confident demeanor stands out.

Justin Leonard
Age: 36
Ryder Cup: 3d team
Overall record: 0-3-5
Of note: So heralded for his key role in the most dramatic Ryder Cup rally in history (surely you remember the 17th green on Sunday at The Country Club in 1999?), it's amazing to think this steel-eyed Texan has never won a Cup match.

Ben Curtis
Age: 31
Ryder Cup: Rookie
Overall record: NA
Of note: He's the Ohio kid who somehow won the 2003 British Open, yes. But he's also the Ohio kid who has won twice more on the PGA Tour and threatened to win last month's PGA Championship. Great putter, which makes him valuable this week.

Boo Weekley
Age: 35
Ryder Cup: Rookie
Overall record: NA
Of note: His ball-striking prowess is matched only by his good ol' country boy homeyness, but it must be noted that in a competition that ultimately comes down to putting, this part of the game baffles Weekley.

Steve Stricker
Age: 41
Ryder Cup: Rookie
Overall record: NA<
Of note: Midseason slump dropped this popular veteran out of the top eight in the standings, but no worries - there was no way his great putting stroke and even-tempered personality would be left out of the mix. In two Presidents Cups he's 5-5.

J.B. Holmes
Age: 26
Ryder Cup: Rookie
Overall record: NA
Of note: Chosen for his power, yes, but also his Kentucky roots that could get the crowd into it even more. But he's another who seems lost on the greens, which is why he has a caddie line him up, even on 3-footers. No, that's not a good sign.

Hunter Mahan
Age: 26
Ryder Cup: Rookie
Overall record: NA
Of note: Has good length, but even better is the fact he finds a lot of fairways. Great foursomes option, but it was his heartfelt apologies to PGA of America officials after careless, disparaging remarks about the Ryder Cup that has served him well.

Chad Campbell
Age: 34
Ryder Cup: 3d team
Overall record: 1-3-2
Of note: They don't come any more unassuming than this Texan with the low-ball, high-skill game. Won a year ago on this weekend to save a rather benign '07 season, though it provided momentum for a steady 2008 (nine times inside the top 15).