Changing Places

The U.S. team, having won only once in the last five matches, fought for the low ground. We're underdogs, they said--loose, fun-loving guys who like to get together for a sing-song and a pint of Guinness. Hold on, said the Europeans, you're poaching our game plan. Captain Lehman smiled and shrugged. Woosie fumbled for words. The Irish celebrated their pagan roots with flags, banners and stilt-walkers. This, most everyone agreed, was going to be good.

GOATS & HEROES

GOATS
The Organizing Committee, for stranding hundreds of spectators in distant parking lots when high wind closed the course on Wednesday.

Bernhard Langer, the former Ryder Cup star and the 2004 European captain, for skipping the Ryder Cup to play in the Texas Open.

Woods, for butchering the Stanford fight song at a team get-together. "I wouldn't recommend he go into a recording studio," said Scott Verplank.

HEROES
Tiger Woods, for crossing a fairway during Tuesday's practice to hug Ireland's Darren Clarke, whose wife, Heather, recently died of cancer.

Tom Lehman, for giving his team time off after practice. Especially Woods, whose tournament routine includes afternoon workouts followed by quiet time.

Amy Lepard, pro singer and wife of Chad Campbell, for her pitch-perfect performance during the U.S. team's karaoke contest.

LIGHTNING ROD

Elin Nordegren, the wife of Tiger Woods and a former fashion and photographer's model, took a hit when British and Irish tabloids reprinted magazine photos of a topless beauty wrongly identified as the golfer's wife. The original article, a parody of tabloid journalism, claimed that Elin could be seen "in a variety of sweaty poses on porn sites across the Web." Last Wednesday morning an angry Woods called the claims "unacceptable" and hinted through his agent, Mark Steinberg, that legal action could follow. "It's hard to be very diplomatic about this," said Woods. "My wife is an extension of me ... and I care about her with all my heart." The publishers of The Dubliner magazine promptly apologized, claiming that their intent had been to lampoon the excesses of the tabs, not to defame the fair Elin.