THE TEAMS

UNITED STATES

TIGER WOODS

* Age: 21.

* Ryder Cups: First appearance.

* At a glance: He is Tiger Woods. And that means he already has become the top player in the world, regardless of what this week’s Sony rankings say. He has won six times on the PGA Tour, including his record-breaking 12-shot victory in the Masters. He has set a single-season record for earnings. And if you’re looking for a strong match-play record, check out three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles from 1994 through 1996. Remember last August, when the question was whether he would earn his tour card?

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JUSTIN LEONARD

* Age: 25.

* Ryder Cups: First appearance.

* At a glance: If Woods has become the best player in the world, Leonard may have taken Corey Pavin’s place as the toughest. He stared down the world with his victory in the British Open and gave Davis Love III a run for it in the PGA. Like Woods, he is a former U.S. Amateur champion. You wouldn’t want to be playing against this Ryder Cup rookie Sunday.

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TOM LEHMAN

* Age: 38.

* Ryder Cups: 1

* Singles: 1-0-0

* Alternate-shot: 1-1-0

* Better Ball: 0-0-0

* Points: 2-1

* At a glance: A very solid player. It’s hard to knock his record in major championships, but it would have been nice to see him win one of the last three U.S. Opens. He had a tremendous 1996, when he won the British Open, set the earnings record broken by Woods and was named player of the year. He probably will remember 1997 most for hitting into the water on the 71st hole at Congressional, and that’s not the kind of swing thought you want going into the Ryder Cup.

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DAVIS LOVE III

* Age: 33

* Ryder Cups: 2

* Singles: 2-0-0

* Alternate-shot: 2-2-0

* Better Ball: 1-2-0

* Points: 5-4

* At a glance: He can’t help but feel good about his PGA Championship at Winged Foot, where he threw off the burden of being TBPNTWAM (The Best Player Never to Win a Major) and left the questions for Phil Mickelson or Colin Montgomerie. Even if Love hadn’t played his way onto the team, Tom Kite would have made him a captain’s pick. Love and Fred Couples make a successful team, but Kite might want to split them up to spread the leadership around.

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JIM FURYK

* Age: 27.

* Ryder Cup record: First appearance.

* At a glance: Another Ryder Cup rookie, and the big question with Furyk is: How will that swing hold up under pressure? The best thing to do is close your eyes until he hits it. He warmed up with an 80 at the Canadian Open. The unorthodox Furyk had a remarkable run this season, with nine top-10 finishes, including a fifth at the U.S. Open, fourth at the British Open and sixth at the PGA. That’s a good way to pile up Ryder Cup points and money, and he earned almost $1.2 million.

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PHIL MICKELSON

* Age: 27.

* Ryder Cups: 1

* Singles: 1-0-0

* Alternate-shot: 0-0-0

* Better Ball: 2-0-0

* Points: 3-0

* At a glance: Can he win a tournament? He added titles at Bay Hill and the International this year. Can he play under pressure? Take a look at that Ryder Cup record. He was the only undefeated American in the loss at Oak Hill in 1995. Can he hit the shots? No one, not even Woods, is more creative around the greens. Can he become the first left-hander since Bob Charles to win a major? Not yet, but some day it has to happen. And another 3-0 record in this competition would be almost as impressive.

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JEFF MAGGERT

* Age: 33.

* Ryder Cups: 1

* Singles: 0-1-0

* Alternate-shot: 1-1-0

* Better Ball: 1-0-0

* Points: 2-2

* At a glance: Three things at which Maggert has become very good: Coming in second, winning a lot of money and finishing strong in the PGA Championship with a Ryder Cup berth on the line. He did it at Riviera in 1995, and then again at Winged Foot last month, with a 65, the best round of the tournament, to move him from 11th to seventh. He also finished fourth at the U.S. Open, despite a final-round 74 at Congressional.

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MARK O’MEARA

* Age: 40.

* Ryder Cups: 3

* Singles: 0-3-0

* Alternate-shot: 1-1-0

* Better Ball: 1-1-1

* Points: 2 1/2-5 1/2

* At a glance: If they ever have the Ryder Cup matches at Pebble Beach, he is guaranteed to be a captain’s pick, no matter how poorly he is playing. He won again there this season, beating good buddy Woods by a shot, then won at Torrey Pines the next week. He really hadn’t been heard from since then until winning the Lancombe Trophy two weeks ago in France. O’Meara reportedly doesn’t care much for Ryder Cup play (yes, those dinners can get pretty distracting). He should be providing veteran leadership for this young team, but time will tell.

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SCOTT HOCH

* Age: 41.

* Ryder Cups: First appearance.

* At a glance: Hoch is the oldest rookie in Ryder Cup history. While he hasn’t done anything spectacular in his 17-year career, he has been a consistent winner, including in this year’s Greater Milwaukee Open when he chipped in for an eagle on the 72nd hole, and the biggest plus is that no one is saying “Hoch as in choke,” which was quite in fashion after he missed a short putt that would have won the 1989 Masters against Nick Faldo. Wouldn’t it be interesting if they were paired again in a crucial match this time?

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BRAD FAXON

* Age: 36.

* Ryder Cups: 1

* Singles: 0-1-0

* Alternate-shot: 0-0-0

* Better Ball: 1-1-0

* Points: 1-2

* At a glance: One of the biggest mysteries on the PGA Tour is why this brilliant putter hasn’t won more often. He did win in New Orleans this year the week before the Masters. He didn’t win his Ryder Cup singles match against David Gilford at Oak Hill in 1995, part of a disastrous Sunday for the U.S. He has been distracted by a divorce last month. And he almost fell off the team when he missed the cut at the PGA. But enough negatives: He won more than $1 million for the second year in a row and is ranked 16th in the world. The Ryder Cup, however, is not the place to rest on your wallet.

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FRED COUPLES

(Captain’s pick)

* Age: 37.

* Ryder Cups: 4

* Singles: 1-1-2

* Alternate-shot: 1-4-0

* Better Ball: 3-2-2

* Points: 7-9

* At a glance: He is the most experienced Ryder Cup player on the U.S. squad and the obvious choice for Kite as one of his two picks. Too laid-back to be a real leader, he makes a wonderful partner in any team competition, and he battled Ian Woosnam to a halve in 1995 with some clutch putts in their singles match. He has played in only 13 tournaments this year because of physical difficulties, but there was no way he could be left off the team. And there is no way he will be another Curtis Strange.

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LEE JANZEN

(Captain’s pick)

* Age: 33.

* Ryder Cups: 1

* Singles: 0-1-0

* Alternate-shot: 0-0-0

* Better Ball: 0-1-0

* Points: 0-2

* At a glance: If Tom Watson hadn’t faded at the PGA, this spot probably would have been his. Would you really want Steve Jones, Paul Stankowski or Tommy Tolles? Janzen, the 1993 U.S. Open winner, was 15th in the points race and 25th on the money list, but the big number for him was the 69 he shot in the final round of the PGA while playing with Kite. He hasn’t won in Ryder Cup play, losing his singles match to Montgomerie in 1993 at the Belfry.

EUROPE

COLIN MONTGOMERIE

* Age: 34.

* Ryder Cups: 3

* Singles: 2-0-1

* Alternate-shot: 3-2-0

* Better Ball: 1-3-1

* Points: 7-6

* At a glance: The full Monty has become the best player in Europe, and a force to be reckoned with in major events, which the Ryder Cup definitely has become. He could have won the U.S. Open in 1994 or this year, and he lost in a playoff at the 1995 PGA at Riviera. But he won none of them, and his whining is becoming a regular event. European captain Bernard Gallacher didn’t give Montgomerie a rest in 1995, playing him in every round, and he dominated Ben Crenshaw in their singles match. Look for him to be a big man at Valderrama.

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DARREN CLARKE

* Age: 29.

* Ryder Cups: First appearance.

* At a glance: He burst into the American picture in the British Open this year, leading until finally succumbing to the grit of Justin Leonard on the last day and tying for second with Jesper Parnevik. Clarke has never played in the Ryder Cup, but he does have plenty of experience in the Dunhill Cup and World Cup, and his first European Tour victory came against Nick Faldo. He is expected to play on the U.S. tour next year.

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BERNHARD LANGER

* Age: 40.

* Ryder Cups: 8

* Singles: 2-3-3

* Alternate-shot: 8-6-0

* Better Ball: 5-5-2

* Points: 17 1/2-16 1/2

* At a glance: He has played in the Ryder Cup every year since 1981, but he’ll never forget 1991 at Kiawah Island, when he missed a six-foot par putt on the last hole to allow Hale Irwin to get a halve and the U.S. to regain the Cup. Langer still has putting problems, even with the long handle, but he has been a reliable player for a long time. He finished seventh at the Masters for his only top-10 finish in a major this season.

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IAN WOOSNAM

* Age: 39.

* Ryder Cups: 7

* Singles: 0-5-2

* Alternate-shot: 4-3-2

* Better Ball: 9-3-1

* Points: 15 1/2-13 1/2

* At a glance: Has it really been 6 1/2 years since Wee Woosy won the Masters? Yes, although he has also won the European Masters at . . . Valderrama. Isn’t that a pleasant coincidence? Woosnam has played in every Ryder Cup since 1983, but surprisingly has never won a singles match. He made the 1995 team only because Jose Maria Olazabal had to drop out because of a foot injury.

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PER-ULRIK JOHANSSON

* Age: 30.

* Ryder Cups: 1

* Singles: 0-1-0

* Alternate-shot: 1-0-0

* Better Ball: 0-1-0

* Points: 1-2

* At a glance: What does it mean when you’re known as “the other Swede” on the team? Maybe P-U should be known as “the normal Swede.” He lives about 50 miles from Valderrama, went to Arizona State with Phil Mickelson, and lost to his former college teammate in the final match of the 1995 Ryder Cup, but the outcome had already been decided. He has won four European events, including the 1991 Belgian Open and the 1997 Alamo English Open. And he doesn’t eat sand.

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LEE WESTWOOD

* Age: 24.

* Ryder Cups: First appearance.

* At a glance: This Ryder Cup rookie is considered by many the best English player to come along since Nick Faldo. He had a solid year in the majors, finishing tied for 24th at the Masters, tied for 19th at the U.S. Open, tied for 10th at the British Open and tied for 29th at the PGA. He has won in Sweden, Japan and Malaysia in the last 13 months, with seven other top-10 finishes this year in Europe. Lists snooker as one of his interests.

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IGNACIO GARRIDO

* Age: 25.

* Ryder Cups: First appearance.

* At a glance: The Garrido family loves Ryder Cup milestones. Antonio Garrido played in the 1979 Cup, the first to include players from continental Europe. Now Antonio’s son will play in the first Cup to be held in Spain. Ignacio was one of Miguel Angel Martin’s biggest supporters when Seve Ballesteros kicked Martin off the team. Of course, Ballesteros was also part of that 1979 team. Garrido got his first European victory this season in the Volvo German Open. Shouldn’t that be sponsored by Mercedes?

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THOMAS BJORN

* Age: 26.

* Ryder Cup record: First appearance.

* At a glance: Raise your hand if you thought he was from Sweden. Bjorn became the first Dane to win on the European tour in the 1996 Loch Lomond Invitational. He also is the first Dane to make the Ryder Cup team. He was the European tour rookie of the year last year, and he had enough top-10 finishes this year to clinch a Cup spot, but he fared poorly in the majors, so his play under big-time pressure is a question mark.

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COSTANTINO ROCCA

* Age: 40.

* Ryder Cups: 2

* Singles: 0-2-0

* Alternate-shot: 2-0-0

* Better Ball: 1-2-0

* Points: 3-4

* At a glance: Ben Hogan wouldn’t know what to make of the only Italian to play in the Ryder Cup. Rocca laughs when he hits a good shot, he falls to his knees in anguish when he hits a bad one, he smokes when he’s nervous. He lost a key match to Davis Love in the 1993 Ryder Cup, then came back in 1995 to win three points and also had a hole in one. He lost in a playoff to Westwood in Japan in 1996. Probably best known to Americans for his runner-up finish to John Daly in the 1995 British Open at St. Andrews. Ryder Cup pressure might make him light up.