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American captain Paul Azinger has the tough task of running a Ryder Cup team that does not include Tiger Woods.

Paul Azinger was one tough dude when he played in the Ryder Cup for the U.S. in 1989, 1991, 1993 and 2002. He was on three winning teams, and had a memorable match against Seve Ballesteros, which was as much about gamesmanship as about well-stroked putts.

The feisty, fearless Azinger and the emotional Spanish star got into each other's faces over a rules calling, with Azinger holding sway and finally winning 1-up.

The match and confrontation defined Azinger, a sometimes flip but always intense competitor. It should bode well for his captaincy of the U.S. team in this year's match, the 24th of this
biennial series.

In an interview with Azinger that took place before the captain's picks, Al Barkow found out how he views the captaincy and the new point system, on what basis he will make his captain’s choices, what he thinks about the loss of Tiger Woods — and more.

Al Barkow: Why has the American team done so poorly in the last three matches?

Paul Azinger: I think in part because Europe has a better player selection process. Our system was outdated. It was based on top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events. Now, if 100 percent of our Tour was made up of Americans we would have given out 100 percent of the points. But with all of the South Africans, Australians and Europeans who play on our Tour and have high finishes, only about 55 percent of possible Ryder Cup points are given out.

Therefore, an American player could finish 11th 10 weeks in a row, not get a single Ryder Cup point and still be low American ten weeks in a row. In the last fi ve matches we have averaged six players on the team who had not won a tournament that year. The Europeans averaged two players. That’s a huge diff erence. The new selection process we've put in place will get the American players on the team who are currently playing their best golf.

There are occasions when guys will elevate their game for this competition. Th e Europeans have been good at that. But it’s not an exclusively European trait. Six of the players on my team in '81, '91 and '93 will probably be in the Hall of Fame: Faldo, Woosnam, Seve, Olazabal, Langer, Lyle. Those were monster teams, but we rose up and beat them with Ken Green, Mark Calcavecchia, myself, John Cook, Chip Beck. It's what makes golf so interesting. To suggest, as some European players have, that there is a problem with the way the Americans play is wrong. Th ey are not being fair to themselves. They've just played great golf.

AB: How does the new system get the hottest American players on the team?

PA: There are only two things that I ever choked on when playing tournament golf — cash and prestige. So we now award a point for every $1,000 an American player wins in a Tour event. So the top eight Americans on the money list are going to make the team. Then we count the four majors in 2007 but double the points for the winners of 2008 majors.

AB: The captain's choices may be the one area where you have the greatest input. How are you going to go about it?

PA: Of course, I'm going to pick guys who are having a good year, especially in the few weeks before the match. If someone wins three tournaments in a row on the Nationwide Tour, and his last tournament is the week before I pick, I'll probably pick him because I'm pretty sure that man is hot. I might even choose someone from the Senior Tour. I'm also going to get input from guys like Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk.

There may be someone they really want to partner with. I’ll also take into consideration a player’s personality or style of playing.

AB: Are some players better at match play than others?

PA: Yes. There is a certain personality type, but I can’t pretend to know what type. Look at Larry Nelson and Lanny Wadkins in the Ryder Cup. Two completely diff erent personalities, but both had great success. There is something about match play that is different than stroke play — maybe it’s the finality that comes after every hole.

PA: I don’t know what my personality will be like. Maybe both.

AB: Jack Nicklaus has said that a captain should just let his players go out and do their thing, not intrude too much on their game.

PA: I have to agree. Jack told me that it’s kind of what you don’t do. There is no motivational speech that’s going to make a guy who is playing poorly play better. And there is nothing I can say stupid enough to a guy who is playing well to make him play poorly. You don’t have to state the goals. Everybody knows what the goals are.

AB: Then you won’t be setting any sort of tone for the team? Or do you have that in mind despite what Jack Nicklaus said?

PA: Th at’s the big challenge for me, the fi rst night we're together and setting the tone. Because the American team lost five of the last six matches and the last two in a huge fashion, I can come on with an everything-to-gain, nothing-to-lose posture. Or, with a chip-on-theshoulder attitude. There are a lot of ways to approach it, but I will say this. These are all big boys and they don’t need their hands held. I don’t even feel like I have to know them  that well.

AB: Obviously, not having Tiger Woods on the team is going to be a major loss for you, although some have questioned Tiger’s attitude toward the Ryder Cup, that he’s not that much into it.

PA: I admire Tiger as a person, a player and a fan. Th is should not be about Tiger and the Ryder Cup now. Th is is about Tiger’s health and well-being, and his march to history. Otherwise, I think Tiger has always taken the Ryder Cup very seriously. Who hates losing more? I think it’s unfair to say he is not interested in the Ryder Cup and the outcome. It goes without saying that he’ll definitely be missed.

AB: Will you have input on the setup of the golf course?

PA: Yes, I’ll have some say. I don’t believe any previous American captain, except Jack Nicklaus when he captained the team at his own course [Muirfield Village], has had that luxury. But the PGA of America has given me room to do what I want in the setup. Th e Europeans have always tried to neutralize our strength, which has always been power
in their course setups. At the Belfry one year, the fairways beyond 290 yards were narrowed to eight yards wide, a weird confi guration, but it forced Tiger to hit his second shots into the greens from the same spot as everybody else. That was smart. I’m going to do everything I can to give our team an edge. I can have the rough deep, for example, but if I have a
bunch of guys who can bomb it maybe there won’t be any rough.

This story is part of the official NBC viewer's guide, available in the nation's top newspapers.