Even the Americans aren’t sure if Tiger will be missed

Posted on 05/08/08. Source: Fairway to Green Magazine (By Tony Dear)

With such an abysmal record in recent matches, you might have thought the US would be rather upset at the loss of their best player.

But though no one on this side of the Great Golfing Divide is openly cheerful about Tiger Woods' forced absence, the Americans certainly don't regard it as a nail in their Ryder Cup coffin either.

And why would they?

For the best player the world has ever known, Woods has a remarkably mediocre record at the biennial event. He's a formidable opponent in singles of course with three wins, a half and just one loss (4&2 to Costantino Rocca in 1997) from five matches.

But the very qualities that make him so fearsome mano-amano don't necessarily equate to success in foursomes or fourballs.

Either Woods doesn't like having a partner or, more likely, his partners are so darn scared of letting him down they freeze up. Though many would regard it as a wonderful opportunity and even an honour to play alongside him, others might prefer to team up with someone less intimidating: cuddly JJ Henry for example, silent Steve Stricker, ‘everyman' Rocco Mediate (everyman? How many men do you know with nearly $15m in career earnings?) or floppy-haired Brandt Snedeker.

"Woods has a 10-13-2 record overall, so it's not like the team will be missing a guy who's a lock for four or five points," said ESPN's Jason Sobel.

"Obviously, it's not a good thing we'll be without our top player, but Paul Azinger should be able to fill the void because of the randomness and unpredictability of matchplay."

The Washington Post's Leonard Shapiro seems somewhat more concerned. "Despite his less than stellar record, not having the No1 player in the world available is a huge setback for Azinger," he said.

"Not only is Tiger almost certain to win his singles match he has, in the last two cups, taken on more of a leadership role. "Yes, the US has still lost but how could a captain not want his strongest player on the team?

"He likely would have been paired with Jim Furyk who loves playing with him, something some of the other guys would probably rather avoid."

The more you ask around, the clearer Americans' uncertainty over their chances this September becomes. In a recent ESPN poll, an unconvincing 57.5 per cent of participants said the US could still win the Ryder Cup without Woods on the team. One wonders if the 42.5 per cent who said they couldn't, think they could if he was playing.

Without committing to any predictions, the clearest voice on the matter belongs, perhaps, to Golfweek's Evan Rothman who, when asked if the US can win without their biggest star, paused briefly then replied with more than a hint of disdain.

"Er, of course they can," he said. But who will make up this dogged Tiger-less dozen that takes the cup back across the water?

Unlike the selection process for the European side, the method adopted by the Americans is actually quite easy to understand. The top eight from the points list (one point for every $1,000 earned at PGA Tour events, two points at majors) will qualify automatically and Azinger will then make four picks.

At the time of writing, the first five names were all but assured: Stewart Cink, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Kenny Perry and Anthony Kim, who appears to have all of Woods' talent and now, after a couple of years' poor decisions and complacency, some of his brains.

Among those battling for positions six, seven and eight were Justin Leonard, Boo Weekly, Hunter Mahan and Woody Austin. Stricker, Snedeker and US Open runner-up Mediate weren't far behind. As for his picks, we know Azinger wants a roster filled with winners. He has also said he'll probably be asking Valhalla's superintendent, Mark Wilson, to set the course up in such a way as to take advantage of America's longer hitters, most notably JB Holmes and Bubba Watson.

"I think a bomber like Holmes or Watson might be good for the foursomes, but I'd still like to see someone with the bulldog mentality," says Sobel.

"They have to want to play and win more than anything else. Someone like Jerry Kelly might be in that group. And it would be a great time to get some new blood in there.

"Snedeker and Mahan are guys who could be playing for the US for the next 20 years. Might as well give ‘em their first taste of Ryder Cup experience on home turf this year."

Shapiro concedes there might be a place for Holmes, and probably Stricker, should he fail to qualify automatically. He also thinks Scott Verplank would be a worthy choice. "He has a good record (4-1-0) and would be fabulous in the team room," he said.

"And Mediate's new stated goal in life is to make the team. He and Azinger now share the same agent too, and he'd be a very popular choice."

Ultimately though, believes the ever succinct Rothman, it really doesn't matter what process either side uses to build its team or which players make them.

"It's a three-day crap-shoot between the best golfers in the world," he said.

"One week the US wins, the next Europe. It just so happens we've got Europe on their good weeks the last few years."

Pictured; Woods-Furyk together in a previous Ryder Cup pairing!