Friday-Sunday. Friday and Saturday, four morning four-ball (best-ball) matches and four afternoon foursomes (alternate-shot) matches; Sunday, 12 singles matches.

(c-captain's pick) Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Chad Campbell, David Toms, Chris DiMarco, Vaughn Taylor, J.J. Henry, Zach Johnson, Brett Wetterich, c-Stewart Cink, c-Scott Verplank. Captain: Tom Lehman.

Luke Donald, England; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Henrik Stenson, Sweden; David Howell, England; Colin Montgomerie, Scotland; Robert Karlsson, Sweden; Padraig Harrington, Ireland; Paul Casey, England; Paul McGinley, Ireland; Jose Maria Olazabal, Spain; c-Darren Clarke, Northern Ireland; c-Lee Westwood, England. Captain: Ian Woosnam, Wales.

Europe successfully defended in 2004 at Oakland Hills in Michigan, routing the USA 181/2-91/2. Garcia and Westwood were 4-0-1 for Europe, winner of four of the last five Ryder Cup matches.

Europe and the USA played to a 6-6 tie Tuesday in the Junior Ryder Cup in Newport, Wales. Cassandra Blaney struck the defining blow, holing out for a half at the 18th as she and U.S. partner Tony Mapu Finau edged Maximilian Kieffer of Germany and Laura Gonzales-Escallon of Belgium by one hole in the final mixed four-ball match of the two-day event.

American Isabelle Lendl, 15, daughter of eight-time Grand Slam tennis champion Ivan Lendl, stayed undefeated when she partnered Drew Kittleson to a 3 and 1 victory. Europe's mixed team had won the three previous Cups.

STRAFFAN, Ireland - Believe it or not, professional golfers are a lot like you and me. Really. They are not automatons. They get frustrated. They feel pleasure and pain. Sometimes, they even miss short putts.

As in our lives, perspective is sometimes difficult for them to master. Often, it is paired with the worst playing partner in the world: anguish. There are bad lies and double bogeys ... and then there is the unspeakable grief of losing a loved one.

Chris DiMarco discovered what that feels like this summer. So did Tiger Woods and Darren Clarke. They didn't just lose a mother, a father and a wife. They lost a part of themselves. And they soldier on, no different than the rest of us.

Imagine trying to do your job on the world stage in one of the most hard-edged, competitive environments imaginable with your legacy, and perhaps millions of dollars, at stake. Could we do it?

They are here, at the 36th Ryder Cup, silently grieving while at the same time trying to mash their opponents like Irish whipped potatoes. They have come to the British Isles packing their passion, determination and memories. Yet they also are available for each other, no matter the fierce competitiveness and relative historical importance of the event. Family, genetic or adopted, is forever; glory is quite fleeting.

As it would have been for his mother, Norma. Only 11 weeks ago, she collapsed and suddenly died of a heart attack after arriving in Colorado on vacation. She was 68. One of the most heartwarming things was watching his performance at the British Open at Royal Liverpool the week after her death.

Remarkably, DiMarco shot rounds of 70-65-69-68 to finish 16 under par as Woods snatched away another Claret Jug. When it was over, there were hugs and tears. Chris had lost his supportive, loving mother; his father, Rich, had lost his best friend. This week, Dad did not make the trip across the pond.

"He felt like with Mom not here — and what this meant to her — he didn't feel like he could handle it," he said. "Her passion was for me to make this team and then come over and watch. That's the hard part for me."

As it was for Woods, whose father, Earl, 74, passed away two months before the British Open. No single person influenced the making of Tiger as a golfer or a man more than Earl. He imbued in his son a sense of self-discipline and mental toughness, though they had a loving relationship. Over the years, Tiger often has been viewed by some as a remorseless machine — cold, scripted, less than real. After sinking his final putt in the British Open, he openly sobbed during an embrace with his caddie, then his wife.

Recently, DiMarco and Woods have stood beside Clarke, one of three Irishmen competing. His wife, Heather, died last month after she had been diagnosed with cancer two weeks after the last Ryder Cup. She was 39. For weeks, her husband attempted to make a calm, rational decision about whether he would play this weekend. He has two young boys, Tyrone and Conor, who needed his attention. When he felt the time was right, he also reached out to his European teammates.

"Obviously, Tiger losing his father and Chris losing his mum, you know, there are more important things than trying to win this week. But, in the end, we're all professionals. We're trying to beat each other, but at the end of the day, it's not life and death."

It's an international competition, but in many ways, these golfers are more than competitors and colleagues. Many of them have forged friendships and relationships over the years dating back as far as their amateur days.

"I spoke to Tiger a few times and got a lot of (text) messages from him," Clarke said. "He's the best player in the world, but he is also a very good friend. It's nice to know that Tiger, and other players who have given me so much support ... that they care."

For Tom Lehman, captain of the underdog U.S. contingent, all of the personal tragedy brings home the reality that the Ryder Cup, despite its tradition and lore, is just another sporting event. There will be good shots and bad, moments of joy and despair.

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