Americans haven’t won on the road since 1993
With just four wins in its last 12 attempts, the United States has found victory elusive at the Ryder Cup. Rarer still has been success overseas. In its last six trips to Europe, America has lost five times, none more decisive than its 18.5-9.5 embarrassment at K Club in Ireland four years ago.
Starting Friday, the United States will give it another try on the road, this time at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales.
“This is my eighth Ryder Cup, and the U.S. team has yet to win when I’ve been on a team here on foreign soil,” Phil Mickelson told reporters. “It’s something that the U.S. side would really cherish if we were able to somehow pull off the upset.”
The last time the U.S. won in Europe was 1993 at the Belfry. It was so long ago that none of the players remain on the teams from that competition. The only people left are the current nonplaying captains Corey Pavin (America) and Colin Montgomerie (Europe).
“It has been a long time,” Pavin said. “It’s really just going to come down to who makes the putts and at the right times.”
So what is so difficult about playing in Europe for a team that once dominated the competition, never losing between 1959 and 1983? The transcontinental travel? The inhospitable weather? The unruly fans? The rabid press? Their own hideous uniforms? Or their own omnipresent Stepford wives, marching the ropes in matching red, white and blue?
“Instead of looking at the past, I think right now you look ahead. You look ahead to Friday, Saturday, Sunday and not worry about what’s happened,” said Jim Furyk, who has the kind of record (8-13-3), typical of U.S. contemporaries Tiger Woods (10-13-2), Phil Mickelson (10-14-6) and Stewart Cink (4-7-4).
So with five rookies on the 12-man squad, who will America look to? The only player on the roster with a winning Ryder Cup record is Hunter Mahan (2-0-3), who made a strong debut at Valhalla after he was Paul Azinger’s captain’s choice in 2008.
Meanwhile, Europe counters with a lineup so stacked that strong candidates with winning Ryder Cup records, such as Paul Casey (3-2-4) and Justin Rose (3-1), were left off the team.
Still there are plenty of players for Montgomerie to lean on, including Lee Westwood (14-10-5), Luke Donald (5-1-1) and Ian Poulter (5-2). He also expects to get strong work from Ryder Cup rookies Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer and the Molinari brothers, Francesco and Edoardo.
Europe’s advantage on paper is clear, and its loss at Valhalla in 2008 provides fuel. As if Montgomerie needed more, he called on former Ryder Cup standout Seve Ballesteros, who is battling cancer, to talk to his team.
“It was just a very passionate speech that he used to give to the team 13 years ago,” Montgomerie said. “He was extremely open about our chances and about the team that has been selected and the team that had qualified. We were just honored to have him, have his presence in the room.”
