TEEING OFF

Five things to look for on the professional golf scene:

1) So the Presidents Cup got all the attention over the weekend, and the U.S. team had no problem putting away a superstar lineup on the International team, but there was a significant match-play event in Europe too.

It was the Seve Trophy, named after Seve Ballesteros, of course, a competition between teams of Great Britain and Ireland and continental Europe. Great Britain/Ireland won easily but that’s not the point; it’s the fact that Nick Faldo was the winning captain and he’s also next year’s Ryder Cup captain.

And now that both match-play events are over, look ahead, because the Presidents Cup and the Seve Trophy are all about the Ryder Cup.

First, how can the U.S. play so well in the Presidents Cup -- 5-1-1 in seven meetings -- and so poorly in the Ryder Cup? Is it because Jack Nicklaus was the Presidents Cup captain and if he ran a looser ship, the thing wouldn’t have a rudder?

Playing freely is a lot easier than playing tight, which is precisely the Ryder Cup frame of mind for the U.S.

Faldo got high marks for his leadership, which is surprising, because it’s the first time that’s happened. It didn’t help Faldo’s standing when popular Ryder Cup vice captain Paul McGinley resigned, revealing the depth of his enmity with Faldo, who helped write the book on aloof.

Sam Torrance, winning captain in the 2002 Ryder Cup, called Faldo’s handling of the McGinley situation “horrific.”

Stay tuned, Valhalla may be the perfectly named venue to sort out both sides, in a mere 11 months.

2) There isn’t going to be much, if any, change in the world rankings until 2008, so if they stay the same, U.S. players will begin the new year with the top four players -- Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker.

But the rest of the top 10 is made up of international players (Ernie Els of South Africa, Adam Scott of Australia, Padraig Harrington of Ireland, Rory Sabbatini of South Africa, K.J. Choi of South Korea and Sergio Garcia of Spain), with Zach Johnson, at No. 14, the only other U.S. player in the top 20.

3) It’s one down and six to go for PGA Tour pros trying to stay in the top 125 on the money list or to get there and earn an exemption for 2008. Joe Durant is 125th with $752,990, but he’s not playing this week at the Valero Texas Open. Neither are veterans Billy Andrade (No. 137) and Lee Janzen (No. 152), but Corey Pavin (136th), Jesper Parnevik (138th) and Duffy Waldorf (158) are in the field.

When Choi pulled out, the only player ranked in the top 50 who is playing at San Antonio is No. 42 Stephen Ames.

Then there’s the race for the top 25 on the money list for the Nationwide Tour and the PGA Tour exemption that goes with it. Former PGA Tour regular Dennis Paulson has a sponsor’s invitation to this week’s Mark Christopher Charity Classic at Empire Lakes Golf Club at Rancho Cucamonga, but he’s not the biggest added name -- saxophonist Kenny G also has a sponsor’s exemption.

After five years as title sponsor, Ontario auto dealer Mark Christopher will end its association after this year’s event.

4) Unless he pulls out or is disqualified, which is always a possibility, John Daly is going to be around this week at the Texas Open after he tied for 54th last week at the Viking Classic.

Daly, who is playing on sponsor’s exemptions this year, made $7,980 last week and he’s 178th on the money list with $236,408.

It has been a sour season for Daly, 41, who is third in driving distance (312.4 yards), but that’s about it.

Daly ranks 193rd in fairways hit, 185th in greens in regulation and 185th in scoring average at 72.54.

In 20 PGA Tour events, Daly has missed eight cuts and had five withdrawals.

5)There’s also a money race on the LPGA Tour, which is staging its last open-field event of 2007 this week at the Longs Drugs Challenge at Blackhawk Country Club in Danville, Calif.

The top 90 on the money list are exempt for 2008, and No. 90 is Minea Blomqvist of Finland, who has earned $84,824. Liselotte Neumann is 89th. Next after Blomqvist is veteran Lorie Kane, who is about $2,600 behind.

--

STAT OF THE WEEK

* Watch for some players, or even a lot of them, to go low at the Valero Texas Open, where winners have an average score of 261 (19 under par) since 2000. Tommy Armour III, above, set the PGA Tour scoring record for a winning score with a 26-under 254 in the 2003 tournament.

--

A SLICE OF LIFE

Gary Player, Presidents Cup International team captain,

on the rough year that Mike Weir had on the PGA Tour:

‘Adversity is here for a reason and it’s God’s plan that everybody’s got to suffer a bit, and he’ll come back next year smelling like a rose.’