Can They Take The Heat?

Pressure is the X factor in the Ryder Cup. Only those players who can keep their cool during the heat of the battle are likely to succeed on Sept. 26-28 at Valderrama in Sotogrande, Spain. How will the U.S. team hold up? The SI Heat Index is based on ability, past performance and—hey, this isn't an exact science—our best guess. Players are rated by how much heat they can tolerate before boiling over (the higher the boiling point the better) and listed in order of qualification.

Heat Index

[Five Stars] Man of steel
[Four Stars] No sweat
[Three Stars] Is it just me, or is it warm in here?
[Two Stars] Half-baked
[One Star] Gooey mess

Tiger Woods
[Five Stars]
Eats asbestos. Forget experience, he's a surefire W in singles.

Davis Love III
[Four Stars]
Multipurpose veteran. Could hold Couples's hand or assist Kite.

Jeff Maggert
[Two Stars]
Got rid of the apple at Winged Foot, but he's still a second banana.

Brad Faxon
[One Star]
Charred at Choke Hill, might burst into flames at any moment.

Justin Leonard
[Four And Half Stars]
Mr. Freeze. His game's perfectly suited to Valderrama.

Jim Furyk
[Three Stars]
Is it just me, or is it warm in here?
Point guard and quarterback in high school. He wants the ball.

Mark O'Meara
[Two Stars]
Not his sort of gig. Either write him a check or write him off.