Rudy Tomjonovich once said of his Houston Rockets, “Never underestimate the heart of a champion.” The quote resonates especially clear alongside the Europeans in their latest Ryder Cup victory.
The team, headed by Darren Clarke, Sergio Garcia and Colin Montgomerie, completed another lopsided European win over the United States with the score 18.5 to 9.5 this past Sunday afternoon at Straffan, Ireland. The final tab was exactly the same as the last Ryder Cup two years ago, which was then on U.S. soil.
The clear drubbing, with the Europeans winning the five sessions, including the historically U.S. domain of Sunday’s Singles, made Europe the winner of five of the last six cups, including the last three. If it were not for a historic and unprecedented comeback by the U.S. in 1999, due to their stellar single play that Sunday, Europe’s streak would now be at six in a row.
Even more demoralizing for the U.S. is that, while it boasts the top three golfing talents in the world in Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Jim Furyk, Europe still thrashed the U.S. early in the competition, making Sunday’s singles competition a mere formality.
It was clear from the first tee ball that the Europeans were looser, more relaxed, and more “into it” than the U.S. The Europeans play the Ryder Cup like the Americans play majors: with passion, focus, and heart. Conversely, the Americans play the Ryder Cup like it’s a two dollar skins game-with disinterest and aloofness.
This difference between the U.S. and the world is seen elsewhere than on the green. On the hard-court, Greece (absent of any NBA players) beat the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Lebron James, and Dwayne Wade at the World Basketball Championships this summer, displaying a much higher level of team chemistry, camaraderie, and once again, heart. They came together as a team in the same fashion as the Europeans come together for the Ryder Cup. Why does the clearly more talented U.S. squad fail in the Ryder Cup, or the World Basketball Championships, or most international team competitions? Here are a few theories:
The U.S. is grounded in the power of the individual. Their constitution makes far more mention of individuality than collective prosperity. Economically, the wealthy pay fewer taxes, so less wealth gets redistributed. As for Europe, it is not uncommon for income tax rates to flirt with the 50 per cent mark, leaving more money to be redistributed to those who need it.
It may seem silly to compare tax rates and sporting outcomes, but let’s make the analogy clearer. Countries in Europe enjoy spreading the wealth, believing that an egalitarian society produces the best society. America has always been about the freedom to pursue individual personal wealth, setting few limits. Could this “team-first mentality” in European society help to foster a team first mentality on the golf course, the hard-court, or the soccer pitch? And could this focus on the individual in American society be a hindrance to the performance of American sports teams? Perhaps. Just think of American sports coverage.
Baseball coverage often fixates on home-run tallies-which player has the most, which record will fall. Golf focuses on the majors and the player of the year race, while the basketball media hinges on scoring leaders and MVPs. This is not to say that sports analysts in the U.S. don’t talk about team play, but the emphasis is always on discussing individual accolades. Conversely, in Europe, when analysts speak of their football, it is often with an emphasis on the team effort. Also, notice how well the U.S. does in the Olympics, which are mostly individual efforts. Now compare that success to American results in international team events such as soccer, golf, and basketball. Something doesn’t add up.
I also believe that no matter what the Americans say, Europe’s golfers treasure the Ryder Cup more. The cup for the Europeans is in league with Master victories, and possibly more important than winning majors. For the Americans, they want the glory of the U.S. Open or a Masters to themselves, not to share the splendour of the Ryder Cup.
On paper, the U.S. should win every Ryder Cup, and they should win the gold medal game whenever they hit the hard-court. Instead, they offer dismal records in both the Ryder Cup and in international team competition. What doesn’t get shown on paper, the team chemistry and overall heart, does go a long way. The passionate will for your team to win is vital. For now, I think it is safe to conclude that when it comes to success, Europe is the ultimate team player.
