BBC Sportgolf

Paul Azinger
Age: 48
Caps: 4 (1989, 1991, 1993, 2002)
Ryder Cup record: W5 L7 H3

From the bleak despair of contracting cancer to the unparalled joy of winning a major, Azinger has experienced a rollercoaster of emotion in his career.

And it is his steely strength of character the US hopes will form the inspirational core of a team seeking to arrest an alarming record of five defeats in six.

After finishing one shot behind winner Nick Faldo in the 1987 Open, which his own father admitted was a "gift" to the Englishman, Azinger went on to record 11 wins on the PGA Tour from 1987 to 1993.

This consistent run of form climaxed in his solitary major title - the 1993 PGA Championship - but soon after Azinger was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, after which his career took an obvious backseat as he battled to successfully beat his illness.

A first win in seven seasons at the 2000 Hawaii Open saw him kick-start a resurgence which, eight years on, sees him charged with puncturing Europe's seemingly impenetratable invincibility.

Has revamped the system for selection and will now have four wildcard picks instead of two. Tiger Woods is missing with injury and three rookies are present among the eight automatic selections.

Can he gel them all to victory?