Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
US Captain Corey Pavin has confirmed what we all thought would happen and named Tiger Woods to play in the US Ryder Cup team to take on Europe at Celtic Manor next month.
The world number one was one of his four wildcard picks, along with Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and Rickie Fowler.
Woods, 34, finished 12th in the Ryder Cup standings after coming joint 28th at Whistling Straits in the PGA Championship and for the first time in his career he has not qualified automatically (usually in first place) for the biannual matches.
Did he deserve to be picked? On form alone, probably not - several other players close to the automatic places are playing better golf right now, but Woods can only bring positives to the American Ryder Cup team, in my opinion.
Remember, he is still the world Number One and anybody standing next to him on the first tee will know that they need to do something special to beat him. Woods doesn't have a great Ryder Cup record, but he's still one of the greatest players that has ever lived and that fact won't be lost on any opponent. Yes, he may not be as intimidating as he was when he was at his best, but who's to say he won't find that form again?
In recent weeks he has shown Pavin that he wants to play. He made all the right noises at the USPGA Championship and that was a real positive for the American captain. Tiger said he wanted to be at Celtic Manor if his game was in shape, and I think it will be.
Pavin's picks are as sensible and bold. The selection of Rickie Fowler is a real statement of intent. The 21-year-old will be expected to perform the role carried out to such great effect by Anthony Kim at Valhalla.
The precocity of youth can be the catalyst. Kim did it for Paul Azinger two years ago and Sergio Garcia performed the same role for Europe in successive matches after his debut in 1999. Fowler took three out of four points for the US Walker Cup team at Royal County Down in 2007 and his two runners-up finishes in his rookie year are testament to his talent. But, he has been short of such form recently with a month of low finishes after tying for 14th at the Open in July.
Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson provide plenty of experience. Both are major winners and Cink has played in every Ryder Cup since 2002. Johnson won one-and-a-half points out of four in his only appearance to date, the 2006 clash at the K Club. In being relatively short off the tee, the former Masters champion is an exception in this big-hitting American team.
The Celtic Manor rough is expected to be thick and lush by the first week of October and Europe's skipper Colin Montgomerie should be keen for the course set-up to put a premium on accuracy from the tee given the make-up of the visiting team.
Monty will also be delighted with the form being shown by so many of his team. Miguel Angel Jimenez's win last weekend added to the list of recent victors that includes Edoardo Molinari, Peter Hanson, Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher.
Luke Donald's runner-up finish in Massachusetts also bodes well, while Padraig Harrington will need to find some form in Europe over the next couple of weeks.
Europe now know they will be facing a stronger American team than seemed likely earlier in the year and the two line-ups appear very well matched.
Pavin has invested in the world Number One and in the boldness of youth. Monty & Co will have to work hard to keep make sure the value of those investments don't grow too rapidly in the first week of October.
