Growing up, the USA never lost in anything. Not the Olympics, not the World Games, and certainly not the Ryder Cup. But after this past weekend’s drubbing by the Europeans, the United States has now lost 3 straight Ryder Cup matches in the past 6 years, and questions have arisen. Will we ever win again? Why aren’t we winning? Is Phil Mickelson breathing?

The United States came to Ireland for the Cup more motivated than ever. Losing two contests in a row didn’t sit well for the Americans. Captain Tom Lehman vs Captain Ian Woosnam was sure to be a feisty, energetic matchup, especially on the Europeans turf. The Americans came in top heavy, with the best player in the universe, Tiger Woods. Woods has struggled throughout this contest in the past, having a career losing record while dominating tournaments all over the map. The Americans also come with the world’s number two and three players, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk. To keep it short, the States has the players and the talent. The Europeans on the other hand come with lots of talent, most of it young in guys like Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, and Luke Donald. The older members, Monty and Olazabal, lead the group and bring instant credibility to the team.

More than talent, the Ryder Cup is decided on how well the team works together, and who plays whom in certain matchups. Of course, making a few putts wouldn’t hurt, but this is much different from you normal golf match. This is about teammates reading each others putts, playing in formats where you hit your partners ball, and taking a backseat to individualism, something that is not the case when you play golf.

This year was no different than the last few. While Tiger did his job this time for the team, the rest of the team was a disaster, as they chose 4 rookies to shine in the spotlight, and all of them brought zero to the table. While the Americans gave fist pumps to each other, the Europeans cheered every putt, danced around on aces, and treated the contest as if it was the Super Bowl.

Maybe one day the Americans will wake up and realize they missed the commercials as well.
A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports