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The $7.5 million season-ending tournament in the Race to Dubai series starts Thursday with the German leading Graeme McDowell by $395,395 and top-ranked Lee Westwood by $1.25 million in the 60-player field.

McDowell, the U.S. Open champion, is the only player who could catch the 25-year-old Kaymer. McDowell could capture the title by winning the tournament or ending up alone in second as long as Kaymer finishes no higher than a tie for third.

Kaymer, who skipped the Hong Kong Open to rest up for Dubai, called this week “the biggest of my career so far” and said winning would complete three goals he set for himself: to win a major, win the Ryder Cup and become the No. 1 golfer in Europe.

“So two-thirds are done and hopefully this week I can win the Race To Dubai and become the No. 1 in Europe,” he said. “So then I have done everything in one year. It would be fantastic.”

Returning from a two-week trip to Asia and Australia, Woods posted his first tweet on Wednesday: “What’s up everyone. Finally decided to try out twitter!”

The Twitter account actually was launched in June, the name — “TigerWoods” — reserved about a year before that. The previous three tweets were to announce a new Twitter page, website design and Facebook page.

The first tweet from Woods came at 11:08 a.m. Woods had just over 90,000 followers then, and within an hour, he already had added some 10,000 more.

That is obvious, but what isn’t is how dominate the Americans really are anymore. Does the good ‘ol US-of-A still produce the best professionals on the links? Some facts are pointing towards a big, cheeseburger-induced no.

First, just look at the team competitions, when American brings their best against the world. Since 1995, American Ryder and President Cup teams are 6-7, with a tie tossed in at the 2003 Presidents Cup matches in South Africa. During that same span, the United States are 2-6 in the Ryder Cup, losing four of the last five matches played against the Europeans.

Steve Mata, a longtime golf industry fixture, has sold the clubs, which were used in Tiger Woods’ famous “Tiger Slam” of 2000-01. (You can see one of them in action there at right.) Over that stretch, from the 2000 U.S. Open to the 2001 Masters, Woods captured all four majors, holding all the titles at the same time if not all in the same calendar year.

John Byrwa, Managing Editor
NEW YORK – Ending months of speculation, Team USA Captain Corey Pavin completed his 12-man Ryder Cup team on Tuesday by selecting Tiger Woods, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and Rickie Fowler with his four captain’s picks.

Pavin, seated between three of his four assistant captains — Tom Lehman, Davis Love III, Paul Goydos (Jeff Sluman was unable to attend) – and PGA of America President Jim Remy, made the announcement at the New York Stock Exchange, where he will also ring the closing bell Tuesday afternoon.

“I am very pleased to add these four to Team USA,” Pavin said. “I think our team is very good. I think these four players complement those eight very well. That was the goal of these four players.

“I’m very proud to have Team USA completely assembled now, and I’m looking forward to the matches in three weeks.”

Pavin’s four captain’s picks join the eight automatic qualifiers who were announced following the 92nd PGA Championship last month at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis.: reigning Masters champion Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton and Matt Kuchar.

In selecting Woods, Cink and Johnson, Pavin adds proven Ryder Cup experience to his relatively young squad. Woods has competed in five Ryder Cups, Cink four and Johnson one. Fowler, a PGA Tour rookie who has made 16 of 24 cuts, including five top-10 finishes, this season, will be making his Ryder Cup debut. He finished 20th in the U.S. Ryder Cup Points Standings.

Though there had been some who debated whether Pavin would – or should – pick Woods, the world No. 1 who has not won in a year and who just recently started to show flashes of his former self on the course, Pavin said Tiger’s recent form made his decision much easier.