Even without Tiger Woods, the Americans are running out of excuses in the Ryder Cup.
They have one victory against Europe in the last 15 years of this biennial grudge match, and that required a miracle putt from Justin Leonard that only slowed the shift in power. They have not led after any day, any session since that Sunday at Brookline in 1999.
Not that they haven’t tried.
Hal Sutton thought he created a juggernaut by pairing Woods and Phil Mickelson in 2004, a move that got torpedoed. They lost both matches, and an inspired European team went on to its most lopsided victory.
Woods tried to get more involved in 2006. He took four rookies out to dinner — even paid the bill — and then agreed to fly to Ireland for two days of practice to show this U.S. team was unified. Europe won by the same score, 18 1/2-9 1/2.
Now it’s Paul Azinger’s turn.
Before he agreed to be the next U.S. captain, he persuaded the PGA of America to overhaul the qualifying system by basing the points on money instead of top 10s, replacing an archaic system Azinger felt did not deliver the best players. Only results from this year counted, except for the 2007 majors. He doubled his captain’s picks to four selections, then pushed back the date for choosing them by three weeks to give him more time to evaluate the hot hands.
Nothing in this blueprint suggested Woods would have season-ending knee surgery after the U.S. Open and not make the trip to Valhalla Golf Club, where Woods won the PGA Championship in 2000.
Even so, Azinger said he feels the new criteria at least gives the Americans a fighting chance.
“If we win, I’ll go down as having the lowest IQ of any genius who ever lived,” Azinger said.
And if they lose? Again?
“I don’t think there’s more at stake than there has been any other year, because we always want to win so bad,” said Stewart Cink, who has experienced nothing but losing since his first Ryder Cup in 2002. “The fact we’ve lost a few . . . that’s history now. It really doesn’t have any bearing on this one. We’re tired of losing.”
But the Americans certainly are used to it.
Europe has now captured the Ryder Cup three straight times, five out of the last six, eight of the last 11. For the first time, all 12 of its players are among the top 50 in the world, led by British Open and PGA champion Padraig Harrington.
The Americans counter with six rookies, the most on a U.S. team since 1979. And with Woods sitting this one out, the Americans do not have a current major champion on their side for the first since the Ryder Cup began in 1927.
About the only thing they have in their favor is a raucous crowd that awaits in Kentucky when the matches begin Friday.
