Monday, September 22, 2008
In Tigers Woods Absence, America prevails!!
Not sure it was Tiger's fault, but the American team finally won the Ryder Cup after a 9 year drought. The American team was considered a huge underdog without the presence of Woods, but they seemed more bonded. Everyone was playing with heart and passion. Rookies such as Anthony Kim stepped up and pounded Sergio Garcia 5 and 4. Other notables are J.B. Holmes and Boo Weekley who contributed to the Amercan squad. To these guys it was an honor to play in the Ryder Cup, but when you see Tiger or Phil they don't seem as excited to play. It seems to me, they don't want to be there, to them its just another tournament. But to the rookies its their first time to compete in that kind of atmosphere and their pumped to win for their country! Everyone said that we didn't have a chance to beat Europe but we did it. We proved to the world that we don't need the number one player to win. Europe had no problem doing it the previous nine years. What they had was heart and team spirit and this year we prevailed because we had more desire to win. In my opinion the absence of Tiger helped team America come together as a team. It seemed like there was no tension between the players, everyone was focused and had a good time.
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3 comments:
I definitely agree to this observation and can relate it to another sport, tennis. Much like Tiger Woods’ lack of enthusiasm, Roger Federer’s similar attitude is extremely visible on the court. His lackadaisical attitude while playing gives me the impression that he expects to win. Similar to the Woods’ opponents in the Ryder cup, Federer’s do not back down because of his record or skills. In fact, the overconfidence seems to motivate the other players. With their gratitude and appreciation for the sport, they all have the ability to surpass their superiors at the moment. It seems that success in these situations always comes down to attitude and the vibe you give off. Certainly, disinterest will not help you maintain your status or gain fans. Eventually, I believe, the positive opponents will over take over Tiger Woods and Roger Federer, because they truly want to.
The key to the American victory at Valhalla this year may have in fact been the absence of the worlds number one. Not because Tiger Woods is not the greatest golfer every to play but because he doesnt bring the tools necessary to win the team competetion. The European team had been wiping out the American squad for a decade using young enthusiastic players not far removed from college golf. This enabled them to create a comfortable team dynamic easily. PLayers like Tiger and Phil struggle to play with shot-by-shot partners as they are 15 years removed from college golf and are hardened individual atheletes by now. Tiger Woods is the top ranking player in the official world rankings, yet those rankings are individual. For this one week every two years the public needs to understand that he might not be in the best 10 golfers in the world, and thats ok, its not his personality to play with a partner. Younger players that you mentioned like Anthony Kim have recently played their college golf. Kim was an All-American at Oklahoma no more than 2 years ago. Hunter Mahan only a year before that. These are the great Ryder Cuppers as they are excitable and thrive on the team aspect of the game. If the American captains continue to focus on youth much like the Europeans they will continue their victory streak well into the next decade as it is obvious where the most young talent is right now
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