Un-American Golf Fan

So, what kind of excuses does one have to make for rooting for Europe to win the Ryder Cup, the every-other-year golf extravaganza that pits the best of the Euros against the USA? Is it imperative that as a US citizen I have to always root for our team? Should I be ashamed? Could I be considered a traitor?  Might I be subject to investigation by a House Committee? Because I have to confess that, recently, I cheer openly for Europe. This used not to be the case. In the days of Severino Ballesteros it was easy to dislike the European team. Seve was an obnoxious bully who created confrontation through gamesmanship. There was bad feelings between the two teams. But Seve is gone; that is his game is gone and Europe is led by another Spaniard, the irritating but likable Sergio Garcia. Sergio gloats, but why shouldn’t he? He’s been pretty much unbeatable in team competition at the Ryder Cup. The golf commentators have to say nice things about him because he seems never to miss a shot (as opposed to regular tour events when he can’t ever seem to make the crucial putt). Sergio loves the Ryder Cup. The entire Euro team loves the Ryder Cup. (It’s easy to love it when you’ve won it five out of six times). The Americans, on the other hand, take on the Ryder Cup as a duty. These money making machines would rather be someplace else. (Perhaps at a couple corporate outings that might pay them a couple hundred thou). But the Ryder Cup is held in such high esteem in the world of golf that even Tiger Woods has to pretend he is interested. It’s really a no win deal for the US team. If they do win, it’s to be expected. If they lose the media pounces on them and Johnny Miller says they are the “Worst Ryder Cup team we’ve ever fielded.” Johnny Miller is NBC’s golf commentator and one of the people that makes golf interesting. Miller was a great golfer and a real hot dog like Sergio except that Johnny actually won a bunch of tournaments. He is very astute about golf and not shy about truthiness. Most US golfers can’t stand him. They hate criticism. After this weekend’s rout at the hands of Europe they will get their share. It’s good for them, coddled fellows that they are. I mean Tiger hasn’t flown in other than a private jet since 1999. The Euro players make a lot of money too. But they seem more human, certainly more joyous. Frankly, the Ryder Cup is a bigger deal for them, important to the European Golf Tour which some Americans claim ranks behind the Nationwide Tour—US golf’s minor league. (I’d like to see a team from the Nationwide Tour take on the European Ryder Cup Team). So, the fellows from Great Britain, Spain, Sweden, etc have a great interest in putting it to the Americans. The Euro team, from a fan standpoint, is just more appealing. You’ve got Sergio, of course, and Monte (Colin Montgomerie) who US fans loved to hate and now kind of like because he’s come so close to winning big tournaments and come up short every time. And this year again they had Darren Clarke who looks like Russell Crowe only better. Clarke’s wife had died six weeks ago after a long bout with cancer and with Clarke being Irish, the event being held in Ireland, his wife recently dead, Clark became the emotional story line for the three day event. The TV guys couldn’t quit talking about it but it wasn’t why the Europeans won. Golf is pretty simple: hit better shots, make more putts and you win. That’s what Europe did. Those guys are good too.