Europeans Chase Hat Trick Of Ryder Cup Wins
On Sunday, while European Ryder Cup team member Paul Casey was wrapping up the World Matchplay, Tiger Woods was at Stamford Bridge, watching Chelsea beat Liverpool. The world No.1 lost in the first round at Wentworth ending a five event winning streak with an uncharacteristic display. Also at a loose end over the weekend was Jim Furyk, Wood's likely Ryder Cup partner, and the only other member of the US team to participate - he also fell at the first hurdle. The poor form of two of Team USA's stalwarts is hardly a ringing endorsement for the chances of Tom Lehman's side, who tee off at the K Club in Ireland on Friday, facing a hat-trick of defeats in the biennial event.
Team USA is in the unaccustomed position of underdogs for the 37th Ryder Cup, priced 2.37 by Pinnacle Sports. This reflects the selection of a largely inexperienced US side, their poor recent history in the competition and an unconvincing team spirit. The American team features four rookies of whom Brett Wetterich, has never made a half-way cut in a major. Their best player and winner of 12 major titles, Tiger Woods, has failed to shine in the Ryder Cup with a record of 11 defeats from 20 matches. Woods' indifference has been to the detriment of his country's success and contributes to a general lack of team spirit within Team USA, which is perhaps the greatest challenge facing Lehman.
In contrast to an American team at odds with itself, the Europeans display a greater togetherness derived from genuine friendships, familiarity and fierce trans-Atlantic rivalry bordering on hostility. The 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island was dubbed the 'War on the Shore' remembered for among other things, a local radio DJ pestering the European players with early morning crank calls. This paled into insignificance compared to the wild scenes in New York in 1999, when the US team and entourage wildly celebrated an unlikely Justin Leonard comeback before Jose Maria-Olazabal could putt to keep the game alive. The main focus of the European anger was current Team USA captain, Tom Lehman, whose behaviour was branded 'disgusting'. These events haven't been forgotten by the European team or crowds who will provide a hostile gallery and a first taste of fervent bipartisan support for Team USA's rookies.
Having lost four out of the last five encounters and nine of the last dozen Ryder Cups including a spanking defeat two years ago in Detroit, Team USA will be desperate for retribution. However, Lehman's side are handicapped by a lack of familiarity with the Palmer course and a deteriorating weather forecast. None of Lehman's side have ever played competitively at the venue. In contrast, eight of the European side have positive memories of the European Open which has been played there since 1995 and Pinnacle Sports have listed them as 1.847 favourites. Though there have only been two ties since 1927, you can back the stalemate at 12.250, along with a whole host of other propositions covering all the action from the first drive to the final putt.
