The European Ryder Cup team

Player Profiles of the European Ryder Cup team.

Sergio Garcia
Age: 22
World Ranking: 5
The youngest player on the European team matured immediately into a Ryder Cup player with his performances at Brookline. This time round, he will need to bring his A-game as well as his inspiration. Four top-10 finishes in the majors this year and a timely course record at Mount Juliet prove he has the form to go with his own high expectations.

Lee Westwood
Age:  29
World Ranking: 148
The great imponderable. From being one of the best players in the world, his form has been so dismal that he has slipped to a position where he is the lowest ranked player this week. Does that mean anything? It all depends on whether Torrance risks resurrecting the partnership with Clarke that has proved reasonably successful in previous matches.

Phillip Price
Age: 35
World Ranking:119
One of the best putters on the tour but, apart from that, Price has endured a pretty horrid season. Not a long driver, he certainly won't be an intimidating presence on the tee. If Torrance follows the gameplan from Brookline and leaves some players clicking their heels while those in form do most of the work, then Price may be dispensable.

Paul McGinley
Age:  35
World Ranking: 71
This week has come as a blessed relief to McGinley, who has lost his trademark consistency.  A return to coach Bob Torrance, and a love of team sports - he is a former  highly competitive Gaelic footballer and partnered Harrington to World Cup success in 1997 - should be a help this week.

Jesper Parnevik
Age:  37
World Ranking: 61
Sparked with Garcia in Brookline, but a question mark hangs over his current form and, particularly, his putting. Unbeaten in foursomes or fourballs, he also has the distinction of losing both singles. His form on the US Tour has been extremely disappointing this season. Will need to be ignited by Garcia's inspiration to spark this time round.

Padraig Harrington
Age: 31
World Ranking: 9
In the three years since he made his debut at Brookline, Harrington has developed into one of the top players in the world. Although he doesn't win as many tournaments as he should, he had top-five finishes in the US Masters and British Open this season and a top-10 at the US Open and will relish being one of the rocks of the European team.

Niclas Fasth
Age:  30
World Ranking: 32
The irony is that Fasth could well be a stronger player now than if the match had taken place a year ago. Okay, so he hasn't won on the tour this year, but he has had two second place finishes and he has the reputation of being a dogged performer who will relish the prospect of taking on higher-ranked Americans. Could be the surprise-packet in the European team.

Pierre Fulke
Age:  31
World Ranking:   88
Although he effectively secured his Ryder Cup place in the space of six weeks at the end of the 2000 season and the start of the 2001 season, after which he showed a dramatic dip in form, Fulke has shown some timely indicators of late (including a top-10 finish in the US PGA) that he is coming back to his best. If he gets on a hot streak, he can be impossible to beat.

Darren Clarke
Age:  34
World Ranking:19
Strange to think that Clarke has not won  either of his previous Ryder Cup singles, especially when you consider his aggressive, fighting qualities. Loves matchplay. Although his form of late has been disappointing, he is still one of just three European players to have won on tour this season, the others being Garcia and Bjorn.

Colin Montgomerie
Age:  39
World Ranking: 17
Is he fit? The uncertainty over Monty's back casts a shadow over the Scot's potential contribution. Throughout the 1990s, he was unbeaten in singles, but the consistency  that was once his trademark has been replaced with inconsistency and his failure to win a tournament this year must be a concern.

Bernhard Langer
Age:  45
World Ranking: 27
If experience is important then Europe have the right man. Controversially overlooked by Mark James three years ago at Brookline, Langer - who plays most of his golf on the US Tour these days - has an enviable record, especially in the difficult discipline of foursomes. His influence on the "rookie" members of the team could be as important as what he achieves on the course.

Thomas Bjorn
Age: 31
World Ranking: 35
His wayward driving could make him the foursomes partner from hell, but he is a fiercely driven competitor who will savour his return to the Ryder Cup, having missed out on Brookline. He is a great shot-maker, capable of working the ball either way, and has contended well in majors this season. An asset rather than a liability to  the team.