JACK Nicklaus is backing America to win back the Ryder Cup later this month because, he says, "I just believe we have better players."
If Nick Faldo is looking for some words to motivate his team as they try for a fourth successive victory, those seven by Nicklaus might just do the trick. And if not those, then maybe these by another former American great Johnny Miller. He comments
of the United States side: "Even without Tiger they should win easily."
For the first time in history Europe, winners by a record nine points in the last two matches, parade 12 players who are all in the world's top 50.
Paul Azinger cannot say the same about his side. Wild cards Chad Campbell and JB Holmes are currently ranked 53rd and 55th. They are also, of course, without Tiger Woods.
Writing in the American magazine Golf Digest Nicklaus states: "Tiger won't be playing in the matches this year, of course. If he were, I'd consider the Americans big favourites. I still think they will win. I just believe we have better players. Europe has a lot of good players and a host of very promising young guys. But who among them has a great record?
"It isn't like the 1987 European team that had (Seve] Ballesteros, Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam and Jose Maria Olazabal.
"We probably didn't give them enough credit at the time, but history has proved those guys were great players. It was no accident they won. But there's no reason the US team should lose the Ryder Cup at Valhalla."
As for who has great records, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia might have something to say about that. Westwood has won his last ten games, only two short of the record of Arnold Palmer. Garcia, meanwhile, has lost only four of 20 matches so far, while there is not one member of the American side that has a winning record.
Nicklaus has also commented on the importance of the match.
"I know I tend to sound ambivalent about the Ryder Cup," he says. "On one hand, I think the matches have been made too important for the wrong reasons. Fundamentally, I believe the Ryder Cup is an exhibition by some of the best golfers in the world, great entertainment and an exercise in sportsmanship, camaraderie and goodwill.
"The individual performances, good or bad, don't determine who the best players in the world are. Nor does the side that happens to win determine on what side of the Atlantic the best golf is played.
"Too many people believe otherwise, and that helps to make the matches too contentious among the teams and their fans.
"I'm tired of hearing about the European dominance in the Ryder Cup. I'm sure for many years the Europeans got tired of hearing about American dominance and they're revelling about turning it around.
"But I just think American golf is better than perceptions based on recent Ryder Cup results."
In the same magazine Miller says Europe have got on a winning run recently mainly through putting. But he says: "The Yanks are tired of getting whipped and this time they'll arrive in a mood to drain everything. Even without Tiger, they should win easily."
The full article contains 555 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
