BBC Sportgolf

Casey claimed the last spot as a wildcard in Nick Faldo's team but the big hitter and birdie maker is a formidable matchplay opponent.

He was a significant factor in the last two European Ryder Cup victories - pocketing a hole-in-one at the K Club - and also trousered �1m when he won the World Match Play at Wentworth two years ago.

He was one of only seven players to make the cut in all four majors last year and this season he has been solid rather than spectacular - claiming 11th at the Masters, seventh at the Open and 15th at the USPGA.

A truly stand-out amateur, Casey took a golf scholarship at Arizona State University in the US where he became the first man to win three consecutive inter-collegiate Pac-10 Championships (1998-2000) and broke Tiger Woods's championship scoring record in the process.

On home soil he also won the English Amateur in 1999 and 2000 and, as part of Great Britain and Ireland�s winning 1999 Walker Cup team, he was only the third player in 77 years to record four victories without a single defeat.

Since he turned professional in 2001, Casey has won eight European Tour events while his best finish at a major was sixth at the Masters in 2004.

Casey caused uproar in 2004 when, despite living in America with an American girlfriend, playing on the PGA Tour and having an American coach, he said Europe's team "hated" its Ryder Cup rivals.

After apologies and explanations all round and a spell in the doldrums, Casey has since got on with doing what he does best - playing golf. He could alienate more Americans if he adds to his impressive Ryder Cup record.