Let’s say you are from another planet, have come to Earth in search of golf’s greatest theater and don’t know which event that would be. All you would have to do is look to see which event the participants prepare for many months in advance. That would be the Ryder Cup. No other event gets players attention quite in the same manner. The two Captains, each of whom is selected about 18 months prior, have been watching players and formulating potential strategies ever since their selection. Players hoping to be included are shaping their entire playing schedule to give them the best chance.

European Captain Nick Faldo has already headed his first team of potential players in the Seve Cup last Fall to get some experience. In his own inimitable style, he’s gotten into the heads of many of those involved by trading verbal jabs with a Ryder Cup veteran and stalwart, one Colin Montgomerie.

Primarily because of recent poor form by the Americans, U.S. Captain Paul Azinger has shaken things up to a larger extent, first by changing the selection criteria of his squad (which was long overdue) and more recently by changing the playing schedule of the event itself in hopes of gaining some small advantage.

And now the players themselves have changed their schedules. Henrik Stenson gave up his U.S. PGA Tour card in order to focus more on playing in European Tour events than he did last year and qualify by topping the European Order of Merit. Paul Casey has taken the totally opposite tack by accepting his U.S. Tour card, playing more in the States than he did last year to improve his chances in Major championships, and trying to qualify through the world rankings.

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