He finished sixth on the money list, with just over $4.3 million, and is 14th in the world rankings.

And this week he gets the chance to experience something new.

"I've had a phenomenal year, for me," O'Hair said late last week. "That's not to say you can't improve on it. You can always do more. But I got my third win [at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in late March]. This is just kind of icing on the cake a little bit. It's obviously an honor.

"I've been looking forward to this, but now it's really starting to settle in. It's like all the hard work paid off. This is something you earn. And now that it's here, I'm starting to get goose bumps just thinking about it. A lot of guys never get to do this. To an extent, we'll all be Tiger Woods out there. That's pretty cool. I mean, think about it. Five years ago I was playing on the mini-tour."

How's that for perspective? Speaking of which, O'Hair understands there's a certain amount of pressure with this kind of competition, although probably not quite the level seen at a Ryder Cup. The Americans have won five of the seven meetings, with one tie (in 2003). The World has never won on U.S. soil. O'Hair wants to win. And perform. Yet above all else, he yearns to savor the moments.

"I think the pressure is what you put on yourself," he explained. "You can create that. I think I got to the point this year when I was starting to question myself a little bit. You start to second-guess. Things just aren't quite right, for whatever reason. You have to believe. A lot of this is mental. I had a talk with [U.S. captain Fred Couples] a few weeks ago. He gave me a pep talk, told me I was better than I was showing. That helped get me going.

"You don't see too many guys who can do it week in and week out. Tiger does. That's why he's Tiger. And as players, you respect that so much more. I don't think the media and public really appreciate what he does. He's basically in the hunt every single time. That's all you need to know. Most athletes go through highs and lows. Then something clicks, and it turns around. It's really that simple . . .

"I don't want to psych myself out. This is fun. I intend to suck it up, soak it in, for all it's worth. I'm usually a low-key guy on the course, but I'm going to be cheering like hell for my teammates when I'm not playing. Usually, we're trying to kill each other. Now we've got the same goal. I don't see how it can get any better than representing your country."

It's one more checkmark on the to-do list.

"You make your name in history by how many tournaments you win, and how many majors," O'Hair said. "But this is huge. It'll probably go by so fast it'll be a blur. Hopefully I can reminisce about it in 10 years like it was yesterday. What's the point, if you don't enjoy it? It's a gentleman's game. You try to do your best. When it's over, you shake hands and share a beer, share some laughs.

"I think I have a bright future ahead of me. This is something I can tell my grandkids. The cammaradarie, hanging out with all these guys. How many people would trade places?"

Mickelson will play