Facts and figures for the Ryder Cup, at a glance:
Event: 38th Ryder Cup matches
Date: Oct. 1-3.
Course: The Twenty Ten Course at the Celtic Manor Resort is the first golf course designed specifically for the Ryder Cup. The course combines nine new holes created by European Golf Design and nine renovated holes from the Wentwood Hills course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Water comes into play on half of the holes. It plays 7,378 yards at par 71.
Format: Four matches of fourballs (better ball) and foursomes (alternate shot) on Friday and Saturday, 12 singles matches on Sunday.
Points: The United States needs 14 points to retain the cup. Europe needs 14½ points to win the cup.
Series: United States leads 25-10-2.
Last time: The United States ended a three-match losing streak behind rookies Hunter Mahan and Anthony Kim, and the homegrown Kentucky duo of Kenny Perry and J.B. Holmes. The 16½-11½ margin was the largest for the Americans since 1981. Mahan became the first American captain's pick to go unbeaten (2-0-3) while playing all five matches. They won without Tiger Woods, who was recovering from knee surgery.
Captains:Corey Pavin (United States), Colin Montgomerie (Europe).
U.S. roster:Stewart Cink, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Jeff Overton, Steve Stricker, Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods.
European roster:Luke Donald, Ross Fisher, Peter Hanson, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Edoardo Molinari, Francesco Molinari, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood.
Tiger tales: Tiger Woods has played on only one winning Ryder Cup team in his career.
Key statistic: The United State has not won on European soil since 1993 at The Belfry.
Noteworthy: The European team has 17 wins and two majors this year, compared with 12 wins and one major for the American team.
Quoteworthy: "There is no complacency. We are under no illusion here at all how difficult the task this will be attempt to regain this Ryder Cup." — European captain Colin Montgomerie.
Television (Times Eastern): Friday, 3 a.m.-1 p.m., ESPN. Saturday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., NBC. Sunday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m., NBC.
