American Candidates
• Paul Azinger: The 1993 PGA Championship winner is a cancer survivor who has won 12 times on the PGA Tour. His passion for the Ryder Cup and fiery (some say abrasive) personality led to several memorably contentious Ryder Cup matches against the equally prickly Seve Ballesteros. Azinger has played in four Ryder Cups with a 5-7-3 match record.
• Fred Couples: The former Masters champion is known for his laid-back style and for always keeping his cool. He's a 15-time PGA Tour winner who has played in five Ryder Cups, compiling a 7-10-4 record. Couples is universally liked and respected by his peers.
• Hale Irwin: Irwin just keeps racking up wins on the Champions Tour. On the PGA Tour, Irwin won 20 times, including three U.S. Open titles. He played in five Ryder Cups with a 13-5-2 record, including 6-1 in foursomes. Irwin captained the U.S. team in the inaugural Presidents Cup to a 20-12 win over the Internationals.
• Johnny Miller: With 25 PGA Tour wins, including two majors, Miller is probably the greatest living American golfer who has not yet captained a Ryder Cup team. He played in two Ryder Cups, posting a 2-2-2 record. His role as outspoken broadcaster with NBC has hurt his popularity among present-day PGA Tour players.
• Larry Nelson: Nelson is a 3-time major championship winner with 12 career PGA Tour victories. He's the only man to win 5 points in a Ryder Cup since the expansion of the GBI team to include all of Europe. In three Ryder Cups, Nelson posted a 9-3-1 record. Tom Watson has said that if there was one match that had to be won, he'd pick Nelson to play it.
• Mark O'Meara: While others have let their interest in the Ryder Cup captaincy be known, O'Meara is the only man on the American side who has made a pitch for the job. He's a 2-time major winner with 16 career PGA Tour victories. His record in five Ryder Cups in 4-9-1. O'Meara is known to have great relationships with many potential U.S. Ryder Cup players, and is particularly close to Tiger Woods.
• Corey Pavin: Pavin is one of the most popular players among his peers. He has won 14 times on the PGA Tour, including one U.S. Open championship. In three Ryder Cups, Pavin posted an 8-5-0 record.
European Candidates
• Nick Faldo: The 6-time major championship winner holds numerous Ryder Cup records. Faldo has played in 11 Ryder Cups, posting a 23-19-4 overall record. He has been open in his desire for the captaincy, but Faldo has long had a strained relationship with European PGA Tour leadership.
• Bernhard Langer: It used to be common for captains to lead their teams in more than one Ryder Cup. It isn't anymore, but Langer's success at the 2004 Ryder Cup has led to much praise and speculation that he might be asked to captain again in 2006.
• Sandy Lyle: The two-time major championship is well-liked by his peers. He played in five Ryder Cups with a 7-9-2 overall record. Considered a longshot because his last Ryder Cup appearance was 1987.
• Colin Montgomerie: Monty is a shoo-in to be a captain some day, but it might be too early for him to give up playing in the Ryder Cup. The greatest Ryder Cup player ever for Europe or GBI has played in seven events with a match record of 19-8-5.
• Jose Maria Olazabal: Seve Ballesteros' old Ryder Cup running mate might still make the team as a player. His name is not mentioned much as a possible captain, likely because he is still very competitive as a player. In six Ryder Cups, the 2-time Masters champion is 15-8-5.
• Peter Oosterhuis: Oosterhuis has been overlooked as a possibility to captain Europe, which is a shame. In the late '60s through the mid '70s, during the time of total American dominance, and against some of the greatest U.S. teams (think Nicklaus, Palmer, Casper and Trevino), Oosterhuis was a horse for GBI. In six Ryder Cups, Oosie went 14-11-3, including 6-2-1 in singles.
• Ian Woosnam: From Oosie to Woosie. The wee Welshman, a former Master champions, played in eight Ryder Cups, compiling a 14-12-5 record. Woosnam served one stint as a captain's assistant and, along with Faldo, has been most open in campaigning for the job.
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