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The 156-player field also includes several other members of that European team, any of whom have enough game - and enough happy memories - to grab the title, including Darren Clarke, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Paul Casey and Lee Westwood.
Casey believes with no Tiger prowling Oakland Hills, it's anybody's tournament.
"There's probably 20 or 30 guys here who are very, very capable of winning it - maybe even more," he said. "We've seen in the past a lot of guys come from out of the field. Where you are in the world rankings doesn't necessarily mean anything nowadays. Guys are so good."
Westwood is coming off a strong finish at the Bridgestone last week and likes how he's playing.
"You look at my record, when I get on a roll I tend to stay on that roll for a good while," he said. "And when I win, I win a few tournaments in a block."
Should he win this weekend, Westwood's statement could portend a particularly bleak autumn for members of the U.S. team.
After all, the Ryder Cup matches at Valhalla are just around the corner.
