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Battle at Brookline

U.S. Ryder Cup team looking for some payback

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Posted: Thursday September 23, 1999 05:52 PM

For the U.S. to regain the Ryder Cup, Tiger Woods must perform up to his talent level. Craig Jones/Allsport

By Jim Huber, CNN/SI

BROOKLINE, MASS. -- It has become more than just annoying, this American golf trend having either lost or tied five of the last seven Ryder Cups, the last President's Cup and the amateur Walker Cup just weeks ago.

And so the United States' task this weekend will be, if not simple, very plain: turn the battle at Brookline into a Boston massacre. On paper, at least, the U.S. team appears more than equipped to do so. It features the world's top-rated golfer in Tiger Woods as well as 10 of the top 20 ranked players with none rated lower than 28th.

"I think we were definitely favored the last two," says Tom Lehman who's Cup record is 3-2-2 for the U.S. team. "On paper, we had the top players, but that really doesn't mean anything once you tee it up."

Experience, which is often so critical in the pressure-packed Ryder Cup format also seems to favor the Americans. The U.S. has just one rookie, David Duval and he's won four tournaments this year.

Among the veterans, is Payne Stewart who said after winning this year at Pebble Beach, "The last two Ryder Cup teams I was on, we won. And the last two I wasn't on, we didn't win." In comparison, seven of the 12 European team members are rookies. Perhaps more importantly Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo and Bernhard Langer, the keys to Europe's success over the last decade are no where to be found.

"It will be strange, but without Seve, and Lyle and Langer and Woosnam and Nick, its incredible isn't it?" said Colin Montgomery who's 9-6-3 for Europe in Ryder Cup competition. "Yes it will be a different feeling."

The Americans were destroyed at Valderrama two years ago by a poor performance in the four-ball competition by winning just five and a half out of sixteen possible points. Reversing that trend will be one of captain Ben Crenshaw's most important tasks.

"We've got a lot of very versatile players and so that makes Ben's job a little tougher because of so many possible pairings that he's going to have to make some decisions," says Justin Leonard who has never won a Ryder Cup match.

At least three of the biggest names on the U.S. squad will be looking for some personal redemption at Brookline. Leonard, Tiger Woods and Davis love III, expected to be the strength of the 1997 American team, went a combined 1-9-3.

 

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