Now that the FedEx Cup playoffs are over, and the individual player accolades can be put on hold, we can focus on the ultimate team event in golf.
The 39th edition of the biennial Ryder Cup match is upon us and starts this Friday, September 28 from the Course 3 at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois.
Course 3 plays at a par-72 and is 7,658 yards (7,002 m) long. Golf Digest ranks this course 23rd on its renowned list of America's Greatest 100 courses.
Twenty-four of the world's best players will gather to be divided in two 12-man teams that will represent the USA and Europe for the right to take home the coveted golden Ryder Cup trophy.
Both teams present very balanced and strong teams that promise to deliver a thrilling finish coming on Sunday with the singles matches.
Both team captains and their assisting staff will be playing chess matches with their lineups, trying to put forth the best combinations on the course.
There will be 28 total Ryder Cup matches played throughout the three-day competition.
The format of play consists of eight foursome contests, eight four-balls, and 12 singles competitions, all played to 18 holes.
The winner of each match earns a point for his team, with one-half point awarded for each tie after 18 holes.
On Friday and Saturday, there will be four foursome matches and four four-ball matches played. On Sunday, the 12 singles matches will be played.
Team Europe is the defending champ, so for Team USA to bring back the Cup, they need 14.5 points.
A 14-14 tie means Team Europe will retain the Cup.
Team Europe: Jose Maria Olazabal (Captain), Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Paul Lawrie, Peter Hanson, Martin Kaymer, Francesco Molinari and Nicolas Colsaerts.
Team USA: Davis Love III (Captain), Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson, Jason Dufner, Brandt Snedeker, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson and Jim Furyk
Team Europe is loaded with four of the OWGR top-five ranked players (McIlroy, Westwood, Donald and Rose).
Westwood (16-11-6) and Garcia (14-6-4) are by far the two veterans of the group and both have winning records in Cup matches.
From the rest, six players (McIlroy, Rose, Lawrie, Hanson, Kaymer and Molinari) have played only once before and there is one Cup rookie—Colsaerts.
One thing that bodes well for the Euros is that only two (Hanson and Molinari) of the 11 players with Cup experience have losing records.
Team USA is also presenting a loaded squad led by Woods, a 14-time major winner who is ranked No. 2 in the OGWR.
Ten of the remaining 11 players are ranked inside the top 17 in the world, and the other one (Furyk) is ranked No. 23.
The Americans do have less experienced players on the team the Euros. Four rookies (Simpson, Dufner, Snedeker and Bradley) go along with three players going for their second Cup (Watson, Dustin Johnson and Kuchar.)
The Euros have only one rookie.
On paper and numbers-wise, Team Europe looks like they should retain the Cup this year. They possess the more experienced team and four of the top five players in the OWGR.
That alone should be reason enough because if those players win their matches, the Euros will win their seventh Cup in the last nine tries.
Add to this, the fact that Team Europe's players have an outstanding winning record in the Ryder Cup and Team USA looks doomed.
But Team USA has the best overall team, with the better world ranked players as a whole.
But Team USA brings a very strong group of players that are playing their best during this year with two players that won majors this year (Watson and Simpson); the winners of the FedEx Cup (Snedeker) and The Players Championship (Kuchar); and multiple tournament winners (Woods, Dufner and Zach Johnson.)
And don't forget that Woods, even if you want to take aim at his pedestrian record at the Ryder Cup, you cannot overlook the fact that he has won two major championships on this course.
Team Europe has a very talented group, but the team that has individuals playing better this year is the one that will win the Cup, Team USA.