European Ryder Cup watch

Padraig Harrington

Ryder Cup standing: 1st.

Best PGA Championship finish: T17th (2002).

Last five PGA Championship finishes: T29, T45, MC, MC, T42.

Padraig Harrington arrives at Oakland Hills as a two-time Open Champion. The Irishman has stated that he wants to win a Major outside of the UK, and with Tiger Woods not competing this year, it could well be the time. A stalwart from the Ryder Cup in 2004, he has shown he likes the course.

*Championship odds: 14/1.

Lee Westwood

Ryder Cup standing: 2nd

Best PGA Championship finish: T15th (2000).

Last five PGA Championship finishes: MC, MC, T17, T29, T32

Lee Westwood has had a fantastic season, with the highlight being a 3rd place finish at the US Open. His PGA Championship record is mediocre, but he will have fond memories of Oakland Hills, where he was a vital part of the record-breaking European Ryder Cup team in 2004. He has had many chances to win this year though and failed, which does cast a shadow over his chances.

Championship odds: 40/1.

Henrik Stenson

Ryder Cup standing: 3rd

Best PGA Championship finish: T14 (2006).

Last five PGA Championship finishes: DNP, DNP, T47, T14, MC.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson is a man for the big occasion, as his 3rd placed finish at the Open Championship demonstrated. With a fine record in the USA, including a victory at the Accenture World Match Play Championship, Stenson must fancy a first Major. However, he must reverse his terrible record in the USPGA.

Championship odds: 40/1.

Robert Karlsson

Ryder Cup standing: 4th

Best PGA Championship finish: T29 (2006).

Last five PGA Championship finishes: MC, DNP, DNP, T29, T57.

2008 has been something of a breakthrough year for Robert Karlsson in the Majors, with top-8 finishes in all three tournaments so far. With six other top-10s, the tall Swede has been among the most consistent players on the European Tour this season, and is a certainty for the European team for September’s Ryder Cup at Valhalla.

Championship odds: 50/1.

Miguel Ángel Jiménez

Ryder Cup standing: 5th

Best PGA Championship finish: T10th (1999)

Last five PGA Championship finishes: DNP, T31, T40, DNP, MC.

Missing the cut at the Open Championship at Birkdale was one of the few disappointments for Miguel Ángel Jiménez this season. Top 8 finishes in the first two Majors will have given him the confidence that he can take home the trophy this year. Will his putting stand up to the pressure?

Championship odds: 50/1

Graeme McDowell

Ryder Cup standing:6th

Best PGA Championship finish: T37 (2006)

Last five PGA Championship finishes: DNP, MC, MC, T37, DNP.

Victories at the Ballantine’s Championship, and at the Scottish Open have propelled Graeme McDowell up to second place in the Volvo Order of Merit, and he has now sealed his place in the European Ryder Cup team. Having failed to qualify for the first two Majors of the year, the Ulsterman will be keen to show that he is ready to compete at the very highest level. He enjoyed a fantastic Open, leading after the first round.

Championship odds: 100/1.

Soren Hansen

Ryder Cup standing: 7th

Best PGA Championship finish: T43 (2002)

Last five PGA Championship finishes: DNP, DNP, MC, DNP, DNP.

Soren Hansen arrives at Oakland Hills on the back of a solid season to date. Five top 10s, including a third placed finish at the Open de France has seen him climb to seventh in the Ryder Cup standings. But, with a number of players still in contention for Nick Faldo’s team, the Dane could do with a top-10 finish here to secure his place at Valhallla.

Championship odds: 150/1

Oliver Wilson

Ryder Cup standing: 8th

Best PGA Championship finish: N/A

Last five PGA Championship finishes: N/A

Englishman Oliver Wilson still has some work to do if he is to make the Ryder Cup team, particularly with the likes of Sergio Garcia currently lying outside of the top 10. Wilson has had his best season to date, with two second places finishes. Despite the fact that he has never played in the USPGA he will be confident, having performed excellently in his debut at the US Open this year.

Championship odds: 150/1.

Martin Kaymer

Ryder Cup standing: 9th

Best PGA Championship finish: N/A

Last five PGA Championship finishes: N/A

With wins in Abu Dhabi and Munich this season, Martin Kaymer has propelled himself into the golfing limelight. Like Wilson, Kaymer is making his debut here, and needs a strong showing at Oakland Hills to be sure of his place at the Ryder Cup. He is an undoubted talent and looks destined to be at the top of the game for a long time to come.

Championship odds: 100/1

Justin Rose

Ryder Cup standing: 10th

Best PGA Championship finish: T12 (2007)

Last five PGA Championship finishes: MC, MC, DNP, T41, T12.

After a magnificent 2007, Justin Rose has had a disappointing season, with his only top 10 finish coming at the Memorial Tournament, where he finished second. His disappointing showing at the Open Championship means that he is only just in 10th position in the Ryder Cup standings, and he will not want to rely on a wildcard selection, particularly with the Messers Poulter, Garcia, Casey and Montgomerie currently outside of the top 10.

Championship odds: 40/1

Sergio Garcia

Ryder Cup standing: 11th (6th on World points list)

Best PGA Championship finish: 2 (1999)

Last five PGA Championship finishes: DQ, T3, T23, MC, MC

Garcia will be keen to lose the “best player to have never won a Major” tag that has followed him around since he exploded on to the scene with a second place at the USPGA at Medinah in 1999 as a 19-year-old. Garcia’s win at the Players Championship this year shows that he is ready to put his putting woes behind him and realise his massive potential.

Championship odds: 14/1

Colin Montgomerie

Ryder Cup standing: 15th (European Points list)

Best PGA Championship finish: 2 (1995)

Last five PGA Championship finishes: T42, MC, MC, 70, MC

Monty needs to do something special to force his way into the Ryder Cup team, and Oakland Hills may be the place for him to do it! A tie for 10th in the US Open in 1996 and some inspired golf at the 2004 Ryder Cup will give him fond memories of the course. But he only has three top-10s to his name this year, and none in the PGA Championship since 1999.

Championship odds: 100/1

Paul Casey

Ryder Cup standing: 19th (European Points list)

Best PGA Championship finish: T40 (2007)

Last five PGA Championship finishes: T40, MC, T59, MC, 66

Casey doesn’t have the best record at this event, but he does certainly have the game to tame Oakland Hills. A tie for 11th at The Masters and 7th at The Open suggests he could be due for his first win of the year. With some high-profile names currently outside automatic qualification, Casey knows that a good week here will help secure him a place in his third Ryder Cup.

Championship odds: 66/1

Ross Fisher

Ryder Cup standing: 11th (European Points list)

Best PGA Championship finish: N/A

Last five PGA Championship finishes: N/A

Fisher is an unknown quantity at this event, but a player certainly with the power to get it round the long Oakland Hills course. He finished seven shots clear of Sergio Garcia to win the European Open at the beginning of July, and proved that he can play with the best when narrowly beaten by Phil Mickelson in a playoff for the HSBC Champions tournament. Will the pressure faze him here?

Championship odds: 100/1

Ian Poulter

Ryder Cup standing: 12th (7th on World Points list and 12th on European Points list)

Best PGA Championship finish: T9 (2006)

Last five PGA Championship finishes: T23, T9, T47, T37, T61

The flamboyant Englishman was struggling for much of this year before his second place at the Open propelled him back into contention for a Ryder Cup place. That was only his second top-10 in a Major Championship, and he needs to improve his consistency if he is to mount a serious challenge. But he does have the confidence and self-belief to win if he gets in position.

Championship odds: 50/1

*Odds may vary. Correct as of going to press from Sky Bet