ESPN 2008 Ryder Cup

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- If you can read this, there's a good chance you went to school at some point in your life. And if you went to school, you've lived through the excitement and trepidation of Report Card Day.

No need to mail these grades to players' homes, as all two dozen men involved in the 37th Ryder Cup receive instant analysis.

Actually, make it 26. U.S. captain Paul Azinger receives an A+. Just call him Midas; everything he touched turned to gold this week. And though Europe captain Nick Faldo is likely to be filleted by the uncompassionate British tabloids, his captain's picks were strong and he didn't make many mistakes. He gets a solid B in defeat.

As for the rest of the competitors? Some will have refrigerator material, while others might be hiding this from Mom and Dad.

Europe			United States
	A	Ian Poulter, (4-1-0): Conspiracy theories abounded when he was named as a captain's pick just a few weeks ago. Poulter considers Nick Faldo a friend -- they call each other "Raquel" in reference to a British television character -- and many thought his selection was undeserved in the wake of Darren Clarke's two European Tour victories this year. He proved 'em all wrong, however, earning 4½ points as the only European player to compete in all five sessions, while bringing some much-needed intensity to an otherwise stoic roster.		A	Hunter Mahan, (2-0-3): Vilified before his first Ryder Cup for comments in which he compared playing in the event to being a slave, the captain's pick made amends with the PGA of America, then performed admirably on the course. One of only two U.S. players to compete in all five sessions, Mahan will be most remembered for draining a 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole of his singles match that clinched a half-point for the team.
	A-	Justin Rose, (3-1-0): He may have ridden buddy Poulter's coattails for the first three team matches, but Rose came up big with a victory over Mickelson in singles -- sore back and all. The rookie posted six birdies and no bogeys in that one, only reinforcing any notion that the 28-year-old should be a team member for a long time to come.		A	Anthony Kim, (2-1-1): The exuberant 23-year-old rookie did what nine players before him largely couldn't: He teamed with Phil Mickelson and urged the best out of his partner. Kim's most important contribution to the effort, though, was leading off Sunday's singles lineup with a convincing triumph over Sergio Garcia, setting the tone for the afternoon.
	B+	Graeme McDowell, (2-1-1): Yet another rookie who comported himself well in the limelight. "Obviously, my first Ryder Cup, I have to say it's exceeded all my expectations from a lot of points of view," McDowell said. Perhaps one of Faldo's errors was not pairing McDowell with Harrington for a few more matches. In any case, his first Ryder Cup won't be his last.		A	Boo Weekley, (2-0-1): The legend was already born; it just grew exponentially at the Ryder Cup. Whether the good ol' Southern boy was pumping up the crowd, riding the pony or coining phrases like, "I feel like a dog that somebody done stuck a needle to, and it juiced me up like I've been running around a greyhound track chasing one of them bunnies," Weekley provided instant enthusiasm -- something severely lacking on previous U.S. teams. He was more than just the class clown, though. A front-nine 29 in singles ensured the result was never in doubt.
	B	Robert Karlsson, (1-1-2): He carded seven birdies in his final 10 holes to earn a half-point in Saturday four-balls and steamrolled a steady performer in Leonard in singles. Karlsson was very impressive at times, but if that comes as a surprise, start paying closer attention. The only player besides Mickelson to finish in the top 20 at every major this season, this is simply proof that it's time we included him among the game's elite players.		A	J.B. Holmes, (2-0-1): The shot of the Ryder Cup? It will forever be remembered as Holmes' 79-yard wedge shot on the 17th hole of his singles match that stopped 2 feet from the hole, unofficially clinching a win for the U.S. team. Often thought of as a mad bomber who can bash it 350 yards off the tee, Holmes proved that his bomb-and-gouge strategy is a pretty good way to find success in the match-play format.
	B	Paul Casey, (0-1-2): The record won't leave Casey as glorified as fellow captain's pick Poulter (nor should it) but he did hole two of the biggest putts all week for the European side -- a birdie on 18 in Saturday four-ball and an extremely similar one to halve with Mahan in what was easily the best singles match of the final day.		A	Kenny Perry, (2-1-1): The Franklin, Ky., native made no bones about how much this week meant to him. The runner-up in a playoff on this course at the 1996 PGA Championship, he skipped major championships and marched to the beat of his own drummer in putting together a schedule geared toward making this team. A wayward tee shot on the final hole of Friday's foursomes match left him down but not out, as he returned to hole more 10-foot putts than perhaps anyone else over the final two days of play. "I figured this was going to define my career," he said. "But you know what? It made my career."
	B-	Oliver Wilson, (1-1-0): In truth, the correct grade should be an incomplete. As the only player to sit during the first two sessions, then teaming with Stenson to beat the Mickelson/Kim duo, Wilson got rocked by Weekley despite actually playing pretty well. Wonder if Faldo will look back and criticize himself for not getting the rookie into another match or two?		A-	Justin Leonard, (2-1-1): Despite hitting the "Putt Heard 'Round the World" at Brookline in 1999, Leonard entered his third Ryder Cup without a career victory to his credit (0-3-5). Over the first three sessions, however, he was the man of the match, willing putts in from everywhere while teaming with Mahan to earn 2.5 points.
	C	Henrik Stenson, (1-2-1): As the 2007 winner and '08 third-place recipient at the Accenture Match Play Championship, Stenson could have been considered a gunner in this format, but it never really materialized. The door was open for him in singles with Perry's shoulder acting up, but the tall Swede could never get closer than 2-down in the match.		B+	Jim Furyk, (2-1-1): The record books will note that Furyk "made" the clinching putt, but the conceded gimme from Jimenez lacked any real drama. "I think you dream of winning the Ryder Cup, knocking in the 10-footer for your team and having the place go bananas," Furyk said. "Mine was a 2-foot conceded putt, but I'll take it."
	C	Lee Westwood, (0-2-2): If nothing else, it was an eventful Ryder Cup week for the precocious Brit. On Friday, he extended his undefeated string to 12 matches, tying Arnold Palmer's all-time record. On Saturday, he was the poster boy for captain Nick Faldo's unconventional foursomes pairings, sitting out the proceedings. And on Sunday, he spoke with disdain for the few U.S. fans who hurled insults his way and called his hotel room at late hours. At least he understood why. "I must be taking on the Monty role," Westwood said with a smile.		B	Chad Campbell, (2-1-0): The big, quiet Texan may have been the forgotten man on this squad, but he played solid golf over the course of three matches. His blistering iron approach on 18 in Friday foursomes was fantastic, and had his singles match with three-time major champion Harrington mattered in the end, Campbell might have been the biggest hero of the week.
	D+	Soren Hansen, (0-2-1): Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Just 115 yards from the hole on No. 17 in his singles match against Holmes, Hansen failed to put pressure on his opponent, instead airmailing the green with his approach. A halve or a win on that hole -- and one on 18 -- and the entire final hour of the competition would have taken a tremendous turn for the dramatic.		B-	Ben Curtis, (1-1-1): The former British Open champ wasn't much help in two four-ball matches, posting only one birdie in 34 total holes. Granted, the overall result was no longer still in doubt with his singles match coming down the stretch, but Curtis acquitted himself nicely against Westwood, winning three of the final four holes to clinch the W.
	D	Miguel Angel Jimenez, (0-2-1): When he's sitting out a match, there's no classier bystander than the Mechanic, who carefully inspects the action while brandishing his familiar stogie and a walking stick. On the course, however, he was a non-entity, posting just a half-point as he led in only 10 of 50 total holes this week.		B-	Phil Mickelson, (1-2-2): The good news: Lefty may have finally found a formidable match in Kim, his 10th career partner in this event. The bad news: Needing to play well Sunday, he failed to win a hole against Rose until No. 15, posting his fourth straight Ryder Cup singles loss after three victories to start his tenure. The U.S. team didn't win in spite of its most talented player, but it didn't win because of him, either.
	D	Sergio Garcia, (0-2-2): For a guy who's poised to someday break all the Ryder Cup scoring records, Garcia appeared to be a muted version of his former self. A prior illness may have contributed to such poor play; it was the reason he begged out of Saturday foursomes despite an 8-0-1 career record in the format. Losing his singles match will hurt, but having it come at the expense of "Next Big Thing" Anthony Kim is like pouring salt in the wound.		C+	Stewart Cink, (1-2-0): At one point in early-to-mid summer -- a few months before the Ryder Cup -- he was one of the world's hottest golfers, seemingly getting into contention week after week. At Valhalla, he looked like a guy whose game had peaked too soon, though he teamed well with Campbell in foursomes.
	D-	Padraig Harrington, (0-3-1): Sure, he's won three of the last six major championships, but what has Harrington done for Europe lately? In his last two Ryder Cup appearances, the Irishman owns a combined 0-7-2 record. For a player who two years ago claimed that winning the Cup was more important to him than earning the Claret Jug, going home to a few large trophies in the breakfast nook won't be much of a consolation.		C-	Steve Stricker, (0-2-1): The only player on the U.S. roster who didn't have a match victory to his name, don't underestimate Stricker's influence on the final result. In his Saturday four-ball match, the 41-year-old rookie got up and down from the thick rough to the right of the 18th green, holing a 15-foot birdie putt to garner an all-important half-point. Said Azinger on Sunday evening: "I think that putt made the difference for us."

Jason Sobel covers golf for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Jason.Sobel@espn3.com