Girl's guide to the Ryder Cup 2008

What is the Ryder Cup?

Played every two years between the elite golfers of Europe and the USA the Ryder Cup is without a doubt the biggest team competition in the world of golf. This year's match is due to take place over the weekend of 19-21 September at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Europeans are the current holders of the trophy having retained it for the third time in a row at the K Club, Dublin, Ireland in 2006 by a record-equalling nine-point victory.

What's all the excitement about?

Golf is predominantly an individual sport played in front of appreciative but restrained crowds. However, the Ryder Cup turns that on its head.

Firstly the team format gives everyone someone to cheer for; after all, the Americans are noted for their national pride and everyone else is noted for their love of watching the Americans lose!

The Ryder Cup has become associated with passionate and rowdy crowds who vocally back their teams. Unfortunately this has occasionally spilled over into partisanship and unsportsmanlike behaviour. But, after matters reached a head at the 1999 match at Brookline in the US, the players, captains and fans of both sides have made a concerted effort to promote a sporting spirit.

How does it differ from normal golf tournaments?

The Ryder Cup is a team competition with two teams of 12 players going head-to-head over three days to determine the winner.

Most golf tournaments are strokeplay, whereby the individual who completes the event in the least number of strokes wins. The Ryder Cup uses the matchplay system whereby whoever completes each hole in the lowest number of strokes wins the hole – the hole is split between the teams is the number of strokes is equal. At the end of the round the players with the most holes wins a point for their team, again the point is halved if the number of points is equal.

How does that work then?

For Ryder Cup matches the first two days will see the players face each other in pairs and play either Foursomes or Fourballs with eight matches taking place on each day. On the final day the 12 players from each side will face each other in Singles matches worth a point each. With a total of 28 points available the side that reaches 14 1/2 points first will win the Cup, although Europe will retain it in the event of a tie, as they are the current holders.

In the Foursomes format two players from each team will pair up and using one ball take alternative strokes. In the Fourballs the players will also play in pairs, this time both teammates will use their own ball but only the best score from each pair will count on a hole.

How are the teams selected?

The Professional Golf Association (PGA) of America and the PGA European Tour both have systems in place that allow players to qualify by collecting points over time.

In Europe's case the top five ranked players from the European tour will be joined by the next five Europeans in the World rankings. The final 12 will include two wild card picks that are selected by the team's non-playing captain.

This year's European captain is Nick Faldo, a six-time winner of golf's Major trophies and the most successful Ryder Cup player ever in terms of points won.

Meanwhile, the USA team is captained by Paul Azinger who is also a Ryder Cup veteran and a Major winner. Azinger is a renowned battler who has not only won several international poker tournaments but also overcame cancer during the early nineties.

Taking note of the USA's poor record in the Ryder Cup (they have lost five of the last six matches, including the last three in succession) Azinger increased his wild card picks from two to four. Those picks would complete a team with the eight top money earners over the last two years on the US golf tour.

So, who qualified?

Europe:

Qualifiers: Padraig Harrington; Sergio Garcia; Lee Westwood; Henrik Stenson; Robert Karlsson; Miguel Angel Jiminez; Justin Rose; Graeme McDowell; Oliver Wilson; Soren Hansen.

Wildcards: Paul Casey and Ian Poulter.

USA:

Qualifiers: Phil Mickelson; Jim Furyk; Justin Leonard; Anthony Kim; Boo Weekley; Stewart Cink; Kenny Perry; Ben Curtis.

Wildcards: Steve Stricker; Chad Campbell; Hunter Mahan and JB Holmes.

Where's the Tiger?

Tiger Woods, undisputedly the best golfer in the world today, one of the most famous and recognisable sportsmen on the planet is not in the US team, surely there's been a mistake?

No it isn't, sadly Woods injured his knee in the process of winning the US Open earlier this year and won't be seen again on a golf course in 2008.

That's got to be good news for Europe

Not necessarily. Woods' record in the Ryder Cup does not make for the same stellar reading that the rest of his CV does. He appears uncomfortable in the team format and his teammates did not respond well to the pressure of partnering him.

So who will win then?

Europe are the defending champions, they have the stronger team on paper and the US are missing their best player. They have huge experience of playing in the Cup through the likes of Westwood, Garcia and Jiminez while Harrington is on a hot streak having won the final two Major trophies of 2008.

However, the US are on home soil, they know the course best (Perry and Holmes both grew up in Kentucky) and it will be set up to their liking. In addition, the loss of Woods may free some of their other stars to play their best golf and they will be relishing the chance to use the underdog status, that Europe have used so effectively over the years, against the defending champions.