Europe take on the United States in the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor from 1-3 October.
The US won the 37th staging of the event 16½-11½ on home soil at Valhalla in Kentucky.
The teams of 12 have been selected but how are the golfers playing as the showdown in Wales approaches?
Europe take on the United States in the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor from 1-3 October.
The US won the 37th staging of the event 16½-11½ on home soil at Valhalla in Kentucky.
The teams of 12 have been selected but how are the golfers playing as the showdown in Wales approaches?
EUROPE
Europe’s Ryder Cup team
LEE WESTWOOD Still sidelined by the calf injury which forced him to pull out of the USPGA in July. Unlikely to play a tournament before Celtic Manor so his form is the great unknown. Remains highest-ranked European despite his rest.
RORY McILROY Europe’s golden boy made a miserable start to the BMW Championship but recovered well with under-par rounds on the last two days.
MARTIN KAYMER Quickly becoming Monty’s key man. The European Tour number one and world number five followed up his victory at the USPGA with a four-shot triumph at the KLM Open on Sunday.
GRAEME McDOWELL The 2010 US Open champion has form at Celtic Manor having won the Wales Open there earlier this season. He’s been resting since missing the cut at the USPGA in mid-August but heads to Austria this week to get some golf under his belt.
IAN POULTER Remained in contention at the BMW Championship for the first three rounds but he tumbled down the leaderboard after a triple bogey eight at the par-five 11th in the final round to finish seven shots behind winner Dustin Johnson. With only the top 30 in the FedEx standings playing in the season-ending Tour Championship, Poulter’s demise means he misses out.
ROSS FISHER Blew hot and cold at the KLM Open, following an opening-day 65 with a 74 in the second round. But four birdies on the back nine on Sunday took him into a tie for 11th.
FRANCESCO MOLINARI A solid showing at the KLM Open, where a final-round 66 fired him into a tie for eighth place.
PETER HANSON Sat out the KLM Open but won the Czech Open last month and has been a consistent presence on leaderboards all season.
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ A well-deserved week off after his triumph in the European Masters earlier this month.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON Did not play last week after failing to qualify for the BMW Championship in the US Tour’s end-of-season Fed Ex Cup play-off series. Missed the cut at the Deutsche Bank Championship the previous week and has signed up for the Vivendi Trophy in Paris in a bid to find form. Dropped out of world top-20 for the first time in four years on Monday.
LUKE DONALD Like Poulter, Donald was in contention for the first three rounds of the BMW Championship but a disastrous 42 on the back nine of his final round dropped him back to three over. However, he is seventh in the FedEx standings and will play in the Tour Championship.
EDOARDO MOLINARI Had his feet up last week but finished second and first in his previous two events and is in the form of his life.
PHIL MICKELSON ‘Lefty’ hit a closing four-under-par 67 at the BMW Championship to tie for eighth – his first top-10 finish since the US Open in June. Mickelson won the Tour Championship last season and if he does so again next week, he could overtake Tiger Woods as world number one.
HUNTER MAHAN Won the Bridgestone Invitational in August but dropped from eighth to 15th in the FedEx rankings after finishing tied 37th at the BMW Championship. He was three under at halfway but a 75 and 73 saw him fall away.
BUBBA WATSON Never in contention at Cog Hill in Chicago. Three rounds over par, including a six over 77 in the final round ensured Watson finished well down the field, in a tie for 50th. Will be at the Tour Championship finale though as he is 18th in the standings.
JIM FURYK A solid, if unspectacular week for Furyk who sank 15 birdies, but dropped almost as many shots to finish at one under par at the BMW Championship in Chicago. Comfortably into the Tour Championship though with an 11th place in the rankings.
STEVE STRICKER Another excellent week for Stricker who shot a final round of 70 to give him a top-10 finish in Chicago. He is one of five players, along with Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Paul Casey and Charley Hoffman, who will win the FedExCup if they are victorious at East Lake next week.
DUSTIN JOHNSON Produced a flawless back nine at Cog Hill to overtake England’s Paul Casey, who had led by three shots at one point, and win the BMW Championship. A birdie on the 17th helped him to a one-shot victory and his second Tour win of the season. Narrowly missed out on a play-off spot in the USPGA at Whistling Straights but is now up to a career-high 12th in the world. Excellent form.
JEFF OVERTON Overton failed to recover from a second-round five-over-par 76 as he finished well down the leaderboard in a tie for 57th at Cog Hill. Did just enough though to stay inside the top 30 and qualify for the Tour Championship.
MATT KUCHAR Goes into the Tour Championship as the FedEx play-offs leader after finishing tied for third at the BMW Championship having already won the Barclays. Strong performance in the USPGA and is in the form of his life.
IGER WOODS Has already turned his attentions to the Ryder Cup after failing to qualify for the Tour Championship. Wildcard Woods shot a one-under-par 70 in his final round at Cog Hill but it was not enough to catapult him into the top 30 in the FedEx standings and move into the final PGA tournament of the season. World number one ranking under threat from team-mate Mickelson.
ZACH JOHNSON Failed to capitalise on five-under-par third round, which featured a run of five consecutive birdies. In with a shout on four under par going into round four, Johnson played the back nine in 39 to finish one under. Comfortably qualified for the Tour Championship though.
STEWART CINK Another who failed to reach the Tour Championship. Cink needed a big weekend to move himself up the rankings, but never really got going after an encouraging one-under par opening round. Ten birdies and 10 bogeys for the week tells its own story as Cink finished 38th in the rankings.
RICKIE FOWLER Was 25th in the rankings going into the BMW Championship but fell seven places to miss out on the Tour Championship. Like Cink, although he had no truly disastrous rounds, none were under par. -BBC
