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International Capsules

--Pick a Player-- Ernie Els Nick Price Michael Campbell Carlos Franco Stuart Appleby Mike Weir Retief Goosen Greg Norman Shigeki Maruyama Robert Allenby Steve Elkington TO THE US TEAM

Ernie Els Age: 31. Country: South Africa. Ranking: 2. Worldwide Victories: 31. Majors: U.S. Open ('94, '97). Presidents Cup record: 6-2-2. Best Professional match play record: 22-10-2. Backspin: Won three consecutive World Match Play titles from 1994 to 1996. First player to finish runner-up in three straight majors, but last two were by a combined 23 strokes. Matched Tiger Woods stroke-for-stroke in Hawaii until losing on second playoff hole.

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Vijay Singh Age: 37. Country: Fiji. Ranking: 9. Worldwide Victories: 28. Majors: PGA ('98), Masters ('00). Presidents Cup record: 8-5-2. Best Professional match play record: 18-16-2. Backspin: He and Steve Elkington have the most Presidents Cup wins on International team. ... Masters champion. ... Among the best ball-strikers around, but is streaky with the putter, and thus streaky in match play.

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Nick Price Age: 43. Country: Zimbabwe. Ranking: 14. Worldwide Victories: 40. Majors: PGA Championship ('92, '94), British Open ('94). Presidents Cup record: 4-6-4. Best Professional match play record: 18-18-5. Backspin: Clinched Presidents Cup at Melbourne by beating David Duval. ... Plays well when he plays a lot, so he should be in good form. ... Emotional leader of International team, but not a great record (2-5-2) at RTJ Club.

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Michael Campbell Age: 31. Country: New Zealand. Ranking: 18. Worldwide Victories: 7. Majors: None. Presidents Cup record: 0-0-0. Best Professional match play record: 0-1. Backspin: Only match play as a pro was in first round against Tiger Woods at La Costa, where his lucky red socks were not much help. ... Has won four times this year, all in Europe and Australasia tours.

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Carlos Franco Age: 35. Country: Paraguay. Ranking: 24. Worldwide Victories: 8. Majors: None. Presidents Cup record: 0-2-1. Best Professional match play record: 1-6-1. Backspin: Only International player who failed to win a match in Melbourne. ... Then again, made his debut right after getting through PGA Tour Q-school. ... Game tested around the world, but best success in America -- three wins in last two years.

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Stuart Appleby Age: 29. Country: Australia. Ranking: 31. Worldwide Victories: 4. Majors: None. Presidents Cup record: 2-1-1. Best Professional match play record: 2-4-1. Backspin: After missing the cut in eight straight majors, finished strong in British and PGA. ... Played well at Royal Melbourne, but that was a course he knew inside and out. ... Has lost in first round of Match Play Championship each of past two years.

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Mike Weir Age: 30. Country: Canada. Ranking: 34. Worldwide Victories: 4. Majors: None. Presidents Cup record: 0-0-0. Best Professional match play record: 1-1. Backspin: First Canadian to play in Presidents Cup, and second southpaw. ... Has made rapid progress, from winning Q-school to winning on PGA Tour, but hasn't done much this year until losing in a playoff at Michelob. ... Makes birdies in bunches.

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Retief Goosen Age: 31. Country: South Africa. Ranking: 36. Worldwide Victories: 10. Majors: None. Presidents Cup record: 0-0-0. Best Professional match play record: 3-3. Backspin: One of the best players most Americans have never heard of. ... Has played on five tours this year, and won Lancome Trophy last month in Paris. ... Beat Sergio Garcia at World Match Play in England last year, and took Tiger Woods to the 18th hole in Match Play at La Costa in February.

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Greg Norman Age: 31. Country: Australia. Ranking: 41. Worldwide Victories: 74. Majors: British Open ('86, '93). Presidents Cup record: 6-3-1. Best Professional match play record: 25-12-2. Backspin: Best performance this year was carrying Olympic torch. ... Hasn't won in nearly three years, plagued by shoulder and hip operations. ... Only loss at Melbourne was to Tiger Woods in singles. ... Forms formidable partnership with Steve Elkington.

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Shigeki Maruyama Age: 31. Country: Japan. Ranking: 43. Worldwide Victories: 8. Majors: None. Presidents Cup record: 5-0-0. Best Professional match play record: 33-8-0. Backspin: Nicknamed the 'Smilin' Assassin.' ... Star of '98 matches in Melbourne by becoming first player in a Presidents Cup to go 5-0-0, with eight victims (including team matches). ... Only Japanese player on the team. ... Hits it long and smiles wide.

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Robert Allenby Age: 29. Country: Australia. Ranking: 42. Worldwide Victories: 5. Majors: None. Presidents Cup record: 3-7-0. Best Professional match play record: 3-7-0. Backspin: A two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year helped resurrect a career that was slowed by a car accident in Spain four years ago. ... Big hitter who likely will be paired with best friend and fellow Aussie Stuart Appleby.

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Steve Elkington Age: 31. Country: Australia. Ranking: 96. Worldwide Victories: 12. Majors: PGA ('95). Presidents Cup record: 8-4-3. Best Professional match play record: 15-13-3. Backspin: Plagued by hip injury that he says has affected him last five years. ... Still managed to win five times since then, and tied for most Presidents Cup victories (with Singh) on International team. ... Hip surgery a success, a good game for American courses.

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