Lanny Wadkins Captain An absolutely relentless competitor in each of the eight appearances he made as a player in the Cup

Lanny Wadkins Captain An absolutely relentless competitor in each of the eight appearances he made as a player in the Cup - his 20 wins put him second only to Arnold Palmer. His problem is to pass that toughness on to the five rookies in his care.Fred CouplesAge 35.Majors: 1 (Masters 1992)Ryder Cup caps: 3 (1989, 91, 93)Record: P12 W3 H3 L6Prone to back injury and form fluctuation. Key man in 1991 victory, but managed only two halves last time Marvellous ball-striker. Earned a wild-card pick for his experience in a squad which notably lacks it.Ben CrenshawAge 43.Majors: 2 (Masters 1984, 95)Ryder Cup caps: 3 (1981, 83, 87)Record: P9 W3 H1 L5Current Masters champion, whose last Ryder Cup appearance eight years ago saw him smash his putter in anger midway through crucial match with Eamonn Darcy. Forced to use a long-iron instead, he lost on final hole.Brad FaxonAge 34.Majors: 0Ryder Cup debutHad to finish fifth in US PGA to qualify, and did so with amazing 63 in last round, including front nine in 28. One of five Cup debutants.Jay HaasAge 41.Majors: 0Ryder Cup caps: 1 (1983)Record: P4 W2 H1 L1Joint third in Masters and joint fourth in US Open. A fellow graduate with Arnold Palmer and Curtis Strange of Wake Forest University.Peter JacobsenAge 41.Majors: 0Ryder Cup caps: 1 (1985)Record: P3 W1 L2After only four wins in 18 years, found best form of his career at start of this season with back-to-back victories, two seconds and a third.

Does impersonations of other players, founded pop group "Jake Trout and the Flounders" and has own TV production company.Tom LehmanAge 36.Majors: 0Ryder Cup debutHas been touring as a professional since 1982 but had to wait for his first win until 1994. Finished second in the Masters at Augusta last year, and third in the US Open this summer a matter of months after being hit by a cancer scare.Davis LoveAge 31.Majors: 0Ryder Cup caps: 1 (1993)Record: P4 W2 L2Gained first major top 10 finish at Masters in April, followed up with fourth at US Open. With Fred Couples has won the World Cup for the last three years.Jeff MaggertAge 31Majors: 0Ryder Cup debutQualified by finishing joint third in US PGA last month. Only win on US circuit was in 1993, but last season had 11 top 10s. Was a college buddy of Philip Walton.Phil MickelsonAge 25.Majors: 0Ryder Cup debutAmateur prodigy - he won US Tour event in 1991 while still at college - the left-hander finished third in the US PGA last season and joint fourth in June's US Open.Corey PavinAge 35.Majors: 1 (US Open 1995)Ryder Cup caps: 2 (1991, 93)Record: P8 W4 L4Finally achieved first major title this June 13 years after turning professional.

Pavin, only 5ft 9in and under 11st, also won 1993 World Match Play.Loren RobertsAge 40.Majors: 0Ryder Cup debutTurned pro in 1975, had to go to US Tour qualifying school five times and did not win on Tour until March last year. Three months later was in play-off for US Open with Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie.Curtis StrangeAge 40.Majors: 2 (US Open 1988,89)Ryder Cup caps: 4 (1983, 85, 87, 89)Record: P17 W6 H2 L9Has not won since the 1989 US Open - at Oak Hill. Three times America's leading money-winner, he beat Nick Faldo in a play-off for his first major victory and pushed Ian Woosnam into joint second place 12 months later. The two teams - the United States and Europe each consist of 12 players. The Ryder Cup is a matchplay event: scoring is based on individual holes won rather than on the total number of strokes taken in the whole round (strokeplay). The contest comprises 28 matches, played over three days. Matches are contested by individuals (singles) or by pairs (foursomes and fourballs).

One point is at stake in each match; half a point is awarded to each team for a drawn (halved) match The first team to 141/2 pts wins the cup. The Americans, as holders, will retain the cup in the event of a 14-14 tie. An individual or pair wins a match by winning more holes than the opposition. The match finishes when it is no longer possible for the trailing pair or individual to win the same number of holes as the opposition. For example, when a match is won 3 and 2, it will have ended after the 16th hole, the winner(s) having won three more holes than the opposition with only two holes left to play.The two captains name their pairings and their playing order unaware of their opponents' line-up. Every member of the team plays in the singles, but the foursomes and fourballs pairings are entirely the choice of the captains. Therefore some players might play in two foursomes matches, two fourball matches and one singles match, while others might play in only one singles match.FORMATFoursomes: Teams of two (pairs) play against each other. Each pair plays just one ball and the players take alternate shots.

One of the pair drives off on the even numbered holes, the other on the odd ones.Fourballs: Teams of two play against each other in hole by hole matchplay Each player plays his own ball. The best individual score of the pair on each hole counts.Singles: Head to head, hole by hole matchplay.SCHEDULETodayMorning: Four foursomes matches.Afternoon: Four fourball matches.TomorrowMorning: Four foursomes matches.Afternoon: Four fourball matches.Sunday12 singles matches.. Even for one never at a loss for words, Wes Hall, the West Indies manager, has found himself with an awful lot of talking to do in the three weeks since he and his team returned from their summer in England. Rumours of dissension in the ranks, rampant throughout the cricket-besotted islands during a tour from which all-rounder Winston Benjamin was expelled, have been substantiated by recent instances of player defiance. The debate over the captaincy rages on, even though the beleaguered Richie Richardson has been reappointed for next month's limited-overs tournament in Sharjah and Hall, on radio and television and before the West Indies Cricket Board (WICBC) executive committee, has been in the thick of things. The spate of hurricanes that has swept through the area of late have provided temporary distraction but the people seem just as concerned over the buffeting their revered game has been taking, both on and off the field.