2007 Presidents Cup

A capsule look at the International team for the seventh Presidents Cup matches, to be played Sept. 27-30 at Royal Montreal Golf Club (listed in order of how they made the team):

Team Captain: Gary Player Age: 71 Professional wins: 163 Majors: 9 Captain record: 2003 (Tie 17-17); 2005 (Lost 15½-18½)

ERNIE ELS
	Age: 37 Country: South Africa World ranking: 4th Worldwide victories: 58 2007 victories: None Majors: U.S. Open ('94, '97), British Open ('02) Presidents Cup record: 10-8-2 Backspin: Has twice missed the Presidents Cup, last time while recovering from a knee injury. He has been lukewarm to this event, although he is looked upon as his team's leader. Worked himself into Sunday contention at the British Open and the PGA Championship, evidence that his game is rounding into form. Handled the pressure well in a three-hole playoff against Tiger Woods at the 2003 matches in South Africa, which ended in a tie.
ADAM SCOTT
	Age: 27 Country: Australia World ranking: 6th Worldwide victories: 12 2007 victories: Shell Houston Open Majors: None Presidents Cup record: 6-3-1 Backspin: Has toned down his global travels this year, playing overseas only twice. He has not been as consistent a contender as last year, but he was impressive winning the Houston Open. Has lost both his singles matches in the Presidents Cup, to Jim Furyk in 2005 and to Charles Howell III in South Africa.
Vijay Singh
	Age: 44 Country: Fiji World ranking: 12th Worldwide victories: 52 2007 victories: Mercedes-Benz Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational Majors: Masters ('00), PGA Championship ('98, '04) Presidents Cup record: 12-13-5 Backspin: Has never missed a Presidents Cup, but is usually on the wrong end of some of the most memorable moments. He was on the losing end to Fred Couples twice in the early stages, was beaten by Tiger Woods when Singh's caddie put "Tiger Who?" on the back of his cap, and was upset by Couples last time in a pivotal match. Won twice earlier this year, but has struggled over the last two months with injuries and swing issues and fell out of the top 10. He has never missed a match, a streak that might end.
Geoff Ogilvy
	Age: 30 Country: Australia World ranking: 11th Worldwide victories: 3 2007 victories: None Majors: US Open ('06) Presidents Cup record: 0-0-0 Backspin: Left off the '05 team by captain Gary Player, but no way to ignore him now. He only has three victories, but is regarded by his peers as among the best talents in golf, and seems to have match play figured out. Won the Accenture Match Play Championship last year, and lost in the final match to Henrik Stenson this year.
K.J. Choi
	Age: 37 Country: South Korea World ranking: 10th Worldwide victories: 12 2007 victories: Memorial, AT&T National Majors: None Presidents Cup record: 2-3-0 Backspin: Perhaps the best player on the International team this year, particularly with his strong victories at the Memorial and the AT&T National, and being a strong contender in the FedEx Cup finale. He has gone to a controlled fade that is working wonders, and a fat grip on his putter that isn't hurting. His only other Presidents Cup was 2003.
Rory Sabbatini
	Age: 31 Country: South Africa World ranking: 9th Worldwide victories: 4 2007 victories: Colonial Majors: None Presidents Cup record: 0-0-0 Backspin: Making his debut in the Presidents Cup, his outspoken nature could add some spice to these matches, especially if he gets paired with Woods. Usually backs up his confident talk with a solid game, although his match play record would seem to be better. The best he has done in the Accenture Match Play Championship is reaching the third round.
Retief Goosen
	Age: 38 Country: South Africa World ranking: 17th Worldwide victories: 28 2007 victories: Qatar Masters Majors: US Open ('01, '04) Presidents Cup record: 9-5-1 Backspin: A real mystery this year after a great run at the Masters. He failed to win on the U.S. tour, and didn't make it beyond the second round of the PGA Tour Playoffs. He has been very inconsistent, not so much week-to-week, but round-to-round. But his record in the Presidents Cup is strong, and he took down Tiger Woods in singles last time despite playing with a back injury.
Trevor Immelman
	Age: 27 Country: South Africa World ranking: 18th Worldwide victories: 5 2007 victories: None Majors: None Presidents Cup record: 1-3-0 Backspin: He was a controversial pick in 2005, especially at No. 22 in the standings, but backed it up the following year on tour with a victory in the Western Open. His progress was slowed this year by a parasite at the Masters that caused him to lose 20 pounds and sapped his strength. He is just now returning to his fighting weight.
Angel Cabrera
	Age: 38. Country: Argentina World ranking: 20th Worldwide victories: 16 2007 victories: U.S. Open Majors: U.S. Open ('07) Presidents Cup record: 1-1-3 Backspin: One of top power players in golf who finally got recognized when he beat Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk to win the U.S. Open at Oakmont. His game has slipped a smidgen since then, perhaps while dealing with the notoriety. He was going toe-to-toe with Phil Mickelson in his singles match last time when Chris DiMarco ended the Presidents Cup with a winning putt. Also had a sportsmanship incident with Mickelson during a team match.
Stuart Appleby
	Age: 36 Country: Australia World ranking: 33rd Worldwide victories: 10 2007 victories: None Majors: None Presidents Cup record: 3-11-2 Backspin: Usually regarded as one of the best international players, a combination of power and good ball-striking. He was the 54-hole leader at the Masters, but hasn't done much since. His Presidents Cup record is shockingly bad, and he is 0-4 in singles. His only contribution last time was a halve while paired with Vijay Singh in foursomes against Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk.
Nick O'Hern
	Age: 35 Country: Australia World ranking: 35th Worldwide victories: 5 2007 victories: None Majors: None Presidents Cup record: 2-3-0 Backspin: Geoff Ogilvy referred to him as the "most annoying guy on our team to play in match play." The Australian lefty is short but straight, and uses a long putter. But he keeps the ball in play and is famous for being the only player to beat Tiger Woods twice in match play as a professional. Has reached the quarterfinals of the Accenture Match Play Championship three times.
Mike Weir
	Age: 37 Country: Canada World ranking: 45th Worldwide victories: 9 2007 victories: None Majors: Masters ('03) Presidents Cup record: 8-6-0 Backspin: He was a captain's pick after finishing 20th in the standings, but should bring lots of intangibles as Canada's most popular golfer in the biggest golf tournament in Canada. His swing has been improving all summer, and he was top 20 in the first three majors. Very tough in match play, provided his short game is up to speed. A Sunday singles against Tiger Woods would be a dream for Canada.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2006-2007, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved