They've Met Their Match
The U.S. virtually owned the Ryder Cup until 1983, but Europe has claimed the prize after 8 of the past 11 events.

By Leonard Shapiro
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 19, 2008

LOUISVILLE, Sept. 18 -- When the American Ryder Cup team motorcade makes its way to Valhalla Golf Club on Friday, the players might be wise to pay close attention to the curbside marquee at the Prestige Car Wash on Shelbyville Road, a mile from the course.

"U.S.A.," the message board reads. "Make More Putts."

After two years of deep analysis as to why the U.S. team hasn't won the Cup since 1999, losing three in a row and five of the last six, that's what this biennial event ultimately comes down to. The team that sinks the most critical putts over the three days of match-play competition almost certainly will keep the trophy until the 2010 event at Celtic Manor in Wales.

The Americans enter play without Tiger Woods, arguably the greatest clutch putter ever, who will be watching the action from Florida, where he is rehabilitating his surgically repaired left knee. Woods, a 14-time major champion, will not play for the first time since 1995, when he was a Stanford undergraduate.

His absence is one reason the Europeans are favored in an event they have dominated over most of the last three decades. Still, some schools of thought suggest the Americans might somehow be better off without Woods, who has a career record of 10-13-2.

American captain Paul Azinger doesn't buy it.

"I honestly still can't tell you how you can paint a positive picture for the greatest player on earth not to be here." Azinger said. "It's a huge blow, and I really wish he was on the team. The only positive I could see is that maybe the Europeans have fed on the fact that Tiger was on the team in the past and maybe got a little more up. That's not to suggest that Europe is not going to be up for this. I can just see where it would really fuel those guys to want to beat him."

European captain Nick Faldo had no qualms mentioning another possible American advantage without Woods.

"The positive might be that the American team might want to show the rest of the golf world, the rest of America and maybe Tiger that they can play and they can perform better and they can win without him," Faldo said. "On my side, I reckon this is the one that Tiger was going to . . . win every match. I think they have lost out on a few points."

The European side is missing former Cup stars Colin Montgomerie of Scotland and Darren Clarke of Ireland, whom Faldo passed over in favor of Englishmen Ian Poulter and Paul Casey.

Montgomerie won 20 career matches, three short of Faldo's record 23, and halved seven others in his eight Cup appearances. He also was 6-0-2 in singles, a heroic figure to many of his teammates and all of Europe. Clarke, 10-7-3 in five Cups, formed a formidable duo with his friend Lee Westwood in the alternate-shot and best-ball formats. He, too, was considered a popular and vocal leader in the team room. Several Europeans clearly were miffed when Faldo left the two off the team, but this week, they've all taken the high road and not complained publicly.

"We know it's not going to be easy at all," said Spaniard Sergio García, 14-4-2 overall in the Cup. "Obviously they're missing Tiger, but we're missing Monty and we're missing Darren Clarke and we're also missing Luke Donald [out with a wrist injury]. The first moment we think we're favorites and we're going to win easily, that's when we're going to feel it and we're going to struggle. You've got to get on the horse and ride it the right way."

Clearly, this is no Kentucky Derby, but Azinger will go to the starting gate Friday with two of his most talented thoroughbreds leading off for the American side. He matched Phil Mickelson, the No. 2 player in the world, with 23-year-old Cup rookie Anthony Kim, a two-time winner this season, because both had lobbied hard to play with each other. They'll face off in the opening match against Padraig Harrington, winner of two major championships this summer, and the Irishman's Swedish partner, Robert Karlsson, who won on the European tour last Sunday.

"They expressed an interest in being paired together as soon as Anthony Kim locked up his spot," Azinger said. "Mickelson called me personally and said he'd love to play with him, but so did about six other guys. I said: 'Way to go out on a limb, Phil. You want Anthony Kim? Really?' "

Azinger had hinted earlier in the week that he might send off Kentucky natives Kenny Perry and J.B. Holmes in the first match in alternate-shot play to get the galleries "rocking" right from the start. Instead, Holmes, a Ryder rookie, will sit out the morning session, and Perry, at 48 the oldest man on the team, will partner with Jim Furyk. They'll face the powerful team of García -- 8-0 in alternate shot over his career -- and Westwood, 6-2-2 in the format.

"Kenny and J.B. together is a fantastic idea," Azinger said. "I thought [Perry and Furyk] both had alternate-shot experience. That would be a nice format for [Furyk] as well as he hits it, and Kenny Perry actually likes alternate shot better than anything else. It just made sense to me. I feel like Kenny Perry will go out there and be freewheeling knowing that Westwood and García are pretty formidable. I couldn't draw it up any better."

Azinger also said he planned to use all 12 of his players Friday and might still pair the two Kentuckians in the best-ball afternoon portion of the program. Those pairings will be announced following the morning alternate-shot round.

In the middle two morning matches, Americans Justin Leonard and rookie Hunter Mahan will take on Sweden's Henrik Stenson and Casey, and Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell will play Englishmen Justin Rose and Poulter.

Azinger said when he announced his four captain's choice picks on Sept. 2 that he already knew his first-day combinations, but was not exactly sure about the lineup.

"I was really happy during the week to see that everybody was playing well and that I didn't have to make any real adjustments," he said. "I haven't focused on anything that Nick [Faldo] is thinking or doing. I haven't seen any of his guys hit a practice ball or a chip shot or play a hole, except for TV a little bit on the news. My feelings right now, I'm happy. I'm confident."

Faldo was a tad emotional in a news conference to announce his pairings, particularly when he was asked about his team meeting with boxing great Muhammad Ali, a Louisville native, on the first hole Thursday morning. Ali, sitting in a golf cart, shook hands and posed for pictures with players on both teams, catching the Americans on the 10th tee.

"It was just an incredible moment, as you can tell," Faldo said, with eyes tearing and his voice choking up. "I thought it was special, really was . . . I'm about there with emotions this week already. I need to get it out somewhere. . . . This really is the best experience I've ever had inside, outside the ropes, the most special moment, week of my life, and we haven't even started yet."