Breaking down the Presidents Cup rosters

Updated: September 27, 2007, 2:43 PM ET

Comment Email Print Share

By Jason Sobel
ESPN.com
Archive

Presidents Cup rosters
UNITED STATES	INTERNATIONAL
Tiger Woods Appearances: 4 (1998, 2000, 2003, 2005) Record: 10-9-1 Best-case scenario: Woods continues his torrid play -- bombing drives, hitting precision iron shots and sinking important putts while serving as the de facto leader of the U.S. team. Worst-case scenario: He continues his average play at this event -- failing to improve on a 10-9-1 career record.	Ernie Els Appearances: 4 (1996, 1998, 2000, 2003) Record: 10-8-2 Best-case scenario: Els, who lately seems to hit the ball well when he can't make a putt and makes putts only when he isn't hitting it well, puts it all together over four days. Worst-case scenario: He finds the worst of both worlds, with less-than-crisp iron shots being accompanied by putts that won't drop.
Jim Furyk Appearances: 4 (1998, 2000, 2003, 2005) Record: 10-6-2 Best-case scenario: Furyk continues his prowess in the Great White North, where he's won each of the past two Canadian Open titles. Worst-case scenario: The magic runs out north of the border -- as does the magic in his pairing with Woods.	Adam Scott Appearances: 2 (2003, 2005) Record: 6-3-1 Best-case scenario: Scott shows the solid ball-striking that earned him a fourth-place finish at the BMW Championship, the second-to-last event on the PGA Tour schedule. Worst-case scenario: He looks worn down, showing the same form that left him in T-26 -- out of 30 players -- at the season-ending Tour Championship.
Phil Mickelson Appearances: 6 (1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005) Record: 10-12-6 Best-case scenario: Despite usual partner Chris DiMarco's failing to make the team, Mickelson forms an alliance with Johnson, Toms or Stricker that finds success. Worst-case scenario: Without DiMarco, Mickelson fails to form a strong tandem with anyone and struggles during the first three days of team play.	Vijay Singh Appearances: 6 (1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005) Record: 12-13-5 Best-case scenario: Singh's end-of-year on-course issues have been beaten away at the practice range and the swing looks as solid as ever. Worst-case scenario: His end-of-year on-course issues continue as the 44-year-old finally starts showing his age.
Zach Johnson Appearances: None Record: N/A Best-case scenario: On what may become a fast, firm course, Johnson rekindles memories of his Masters victory. Worst-case scenario: Besieged with a bevy of upcoming Silly Season appearances, the Masters champ can't rekindle the form that led to so much success in '07.	Geoff Ogilvy Appearances: None Record: N/A Best-case scenario: Ogilvy remains one of the more gifted match-play competitors around, a rep that has been reinforced by an 11-1 Accenture Match Play record over the past two years. Worst-case scenario: He finds the pressure in Montreal to be a bit more than anything experienced in La Costa or Tucson.
Charles Howell III Appearances: 1 (2003) Record: 3-2-0 Best-case scenario: Someone hands Howell a calendar backdated to February, when he was busy piling up a victory and two runner-up results in his first five starts of the year. Worst-case scenario: He remains MIA, continuing the pace that caused him to finish no better than T-16 in his final 18 starts of the year.	Rory Sabbatini Appearances: None Record: N/A Best-case scenario: Sabbatini gets his wish, faces Woods in Sunday's singles match and proves to the world that the top-ranked player is indeed beatable. Worst-case scenario: He gets his wish, faces Woods in Sunday's singles match and proves to the world that he should indeed think before he speaks.
David Toms Appearances: 2 (2003, 2005) Record: 2-7-0 Best-case scenario: Toms turns around his deflated Presidents Cup record, proving he's a better match-play man than the record books reflect. Worst-case scenario: He continues to see a poor Presidents Cup record, proving his Ryder Cup numbers (4-6-2 lifetime) are no fluke, either.	K.J. Choi Appearances: 1 (2003) Record: 2-3-0 Best-case scenario: Choi, a former power-lifter, puts the team on his back with his usually steady diet of birdies and pars. Worst-case scenario: A recent back injury flares up again, leaving him on the bench for much of the proceedings.
Scott Verplank Appearances: 1 (2005) Record: 2-3-0 Best-case scenario: A trip to Royal Montreal triggers good memories for Verplank, who was victorious there at the 2001 Canadian Open. Worst-case scenario: Playing more than 300 yards longer than it did six years ago, the course bites back against the short-hitting Verplank.	Retief Goosen Appearances: 3 (2000, 2003, 2005) Record: 9-5-1 Best-case scenario: Goosen resembles the player who's won two major championships and was a top-fiver earlier this year. Worst-case scenario: He looks more like the player who's dropped to 17th in the world and failed to make the third round of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Steve Stricker Appearances: 1 (1996) Record: 2-3-0 Best-case scenario: Stricker's lack of recent experience in international competitions is overcome by strong play that led to a second-place FedEx finish. Worst-case scenario: His lack of recent experience in international competitions, coupled with a late-season charge that he says left him tired, is too much to overcome.	Angel Cabrera Appearances: 1 (2005) Record: 1-2-2 Best-case scenario: The long-bombing Cabrera outdrives his competitors in every match, giving him shorter approach shots and more birdie opportunities. Worst-case scenario: He drives it farther left and farther right than his competitors in every match, leading to few birdie opportunities.
Stewart Cink Appearances: 2 (2000, 2005) Record: 5-3-1 Best-case scenario: Cink has this Presidents Cup thing figured out and remains successful for a third year. Worst-case scenario: The law of averages catches up to him, as that 5-3-1 career record moves closer to .500 by week's end.	Trevor Immelman Appearances: 1 (2005) Record: 1-3-0 Best-case scenario: Repaying captain Gary Player for generously selecting him to the team two years ago, Immelman finds success this time around. Worst-case scenario: Still feeling the slings and arrows of teammates who thought he shouldn't have made the team two years ago, Immelman again struggles to find success.
Woody Austin Appearances: None Record: N/A Best-case scenario: A calm comes over Austin and all those years of self-loathing are forgotten for four days of peaceful, serene golf. Worst-case scenario: Not content to hit himself over the head when missing putts, Austin begins whacking playing partners for miscues as well.	Stuart Appleby Appearances: 4 (1998, 2000, 2003, 2005) Record: 4-9-2 Best-case scenario: One of only two players (with Nick O'Hern) on either team to compete in last week's Turning Stone Resort Championship, Appleby finds the extra work pays off. Worst-case scenario: Hardly building on a T-18 finish at Turning Stone, Appleby feels sluggish while 22 of the other 23 players come into the event well rested.
Lucas Glover Appearances: None Record: N/A Best-case scenario: Glover, a young player with nothing to lose, plays uninhibited golf in his first major team competition. Worst-case scenario: The captain's pick seemingly enters with nothing to lose, but the numbers say the rook loses plenty this week.	Nick O'Hern Appearances: 1 (2005) Record: 2-3-0 Best-case scenario: O'Hern, who has defeated Woods twice in the last three editions of the Accenture Match Play Championship, continues to play the role of giant-killer. Worst-case scenario: Those Accenture wins only served to wake a sleeping giant as Woods exacts his revenge this time around.
Hunter Mahan Appearances: None Record: N/A Best-case scenario: Mahan continues playing like he did over the season's final three months, when he appeared to be one of the world's 10 best. Worst-case scenario: The youngest player on either team, he quickly learns that regular season PGA Tour events are a far cry from the Presidents Cup.	Mike Weir Appearances: 3 (2000, 2003, 2005) Record: 8-6-0 Best-case scenario: Already a homeland hero, Weir justifies his captain's selection by coming up big in front of the delirious Canadian crowds. Worst-case scenario: Much like Padraig Harrington, who went 0-fer at last year's Ryder Cup in his native Ireland, Weir disappoints the legions of native Canadian fans.