To pick this outfit we’ll focus solely on the modern era when GB&I became Europe in 1979.
Since then the whole matches have been tipped on their head, thanks to the likes of Tony Jacklin and Seve Ballesteros initially, and then the players all coming on board.
To narrow it down to 12 is no easy feat. Half the team picked itself but then it gets a lot harder and a host of huge names will miss out.
1 Seve Ballesteros: 20-12-5 (W-L-H)
If Europe did ever have a playing captain in the modern era this would be a fascinating one. Can you imagine him? Some Americans joke that we make too much of Seve, in truth we probably could do more.
To a man, Faldo, Lyle, Langer, Woosnam and of his course his trusted partner, Olazabal, they couldn’t get enough of him. A singles clash with Tiger would be the match of the century.
2 Jose Maria Olazabal: 18-8-5
He might even have had a better short game than his best mate. Whether it was instilled in him at Muirfield Village in ’87 or he always had it, Olazabal’s will to win was on a par with Seve’s which is saying plenty.
A foursomes record of 7-2-1 speaks volumes of his various skills and his fourball record of 9-2-3 is equally as spectacular.
3 Colin Montgomerie: 20-9-7
Eight singles matches, no losses. Again it’s easy to forget the impact Monty had on the European teams over the years. On his debut he got a half from being dormie four down against Mark Calcavecchia and only once did he come away from a match with a less than 50 per cent record.
His peak probably came at The Belfry in 2002 when he didn’t lose once in five outings.
4 Ian Poulter: 15-8-2
The proverbial Postman has thrilled us all since his debut back in 2004 and he’ll always be the poster boy of what happened at Medinah. Then there was the ‘I will deliver a point’ at Celtic Manor – hence where the nickname came from.
A personal highlight was how he took down Dustin Johnson in the singles in Paris. Another not to have lost a singles and surely a future captain in the years to come.
5 Sergio Garcia: 25-13-7
It is absolutely remarkable that someone has contributed 28.5 points – interestingly Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood (47) have both played two more individual matches more than the Spaniard.
Particularly outstanding alongside Westwood, Luke Donald and Jon Rahm, Garcia has had 12 partners over the years. Another whose fourball record is spectacularly strong.
6 Luke Donald: 10-4-1
Donald’s record in the competition is as good as any. Four playing matches, which is a low number given his level of play, resulted in four wins and then we have his captaincy in Rome.
The ultimate foursomes partner; steady as a rock with an electric short game and a brilliant frontrunner in the singles. If he could sign off with a victory at Bethpage it would complete an already incredible Ryder Cup career.
7 Rory McIlroy: 16-13-4
He hasn’t quite got the record of others but, when he’s absolutely firing, nobody can touch him. Think back to the singles at Gleneagles when Rickie Fowler was on the receiving end on the Sunday.
The stats will pick up in the coming years, particularly alongside Tommy Fleetwood, and he’s a proper team player who leads by example.
8 Ian Woosnam: 14-12-5
Woosnam’s record in the singles reads 0-6-2, yet he still boasts a winning record in the competition. His fourball record is extraordinary – 10-3-1 – and, with Faldo in particular, they provided one of the all-time partnerships.
In a butterball outing there might not be anyone more fiery and more likely to produce a barrage of birdies.
9 Nick Faldo: 20-19-4
Again the record might not quite match up to some of those left off the team but Faldo excelled on the very biggest of occasions and his pitch and a putt at Oak Hill to beat Curtis Strange was one of the coolest finishes ever.
You’d have Faldo out in the foursomes, firing iron after iron in close and you’d then have him in the engine room of the singles line-up.
10 Bernhard Langer: 21-15-6
Alongside a Monty or Faldo in the foursomes you’d have Langer.
When Europe lost in 1983 the German (and Faldo) somehow contributed four points apiece and his last two outings, once he’d reached 40, proved to be equally as effective. The ultimate ice-cool partner and one who his team-mates have always spoken so highly of.
11 Justin Rose: 14-9-3
The first 10 picks are pretty straightforward but Rose certainly deserves his spot in there too. Along with Henrik Stenson and Poulter it was almost a guaranteed point and a very welcome sight when the chips were down.
Rose is also who will take a rookie under his wing and help settle them into a match when the nerves will be racing.
12 Graeme McDowell: 8-5-2
The last spot is so hard but let’s go with McDowell, ahead of Stenson, Darren Clarke and Fleetwood/Rahm who both might edge him in the years to come.
McDowell’s chaperoning of Victor Dubuisson in 2014 was both brilliant in its planning and execution and at Celtic Manor that putt on the 16th was something else.
Captain: Paul McGinley
Many of the contenders for this role are all noted above but McGinley was especially good in all areas of his role. A brilliant mind he moved the leadership role to new levels and poor old Tom Watson never really stood a chance.
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