Maybe it is due to the press and commercials bringing to light how the US Team is on the brink of a decade of Ryder Cup defeat to the Europeans, or maybe it has been spurred by the trouncing in Gold Medals the United States received at the hands of China in the Olympics.
Whatever the reason may be, there seems to be a stronger than usual desire amongst American golf fans in regaining the cup and the country’s pride. This will undoubtedly be displayed at Valhalla next week, providing a difficult playing situation for the European team.
Regular golf community contributor Peter Hughes believes “The US have possibly the better balanced team, and I certainly would prefer to be in Paul Azinger's shoes than those of Nick Faldo. Yes, there are "rookies" in both sides BUT the Americans' big advantage is playing at home.”
Despite the absence of Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie and the larger-than-life personality of Darren Clarke, Europe has once again assembled a solid team from top to bottom.
The Americans have put together a team similar to those of the past two Ryder Cups; an almost-equal mixture of experienced and inexperienced players.
That is not to say the American team will once again be trounced by the Europeans, but the American team and their many Ryder Cup rookies are currently sitting on a tightrope and could fall either way.
Young players such as Anthony Kim, Hunter Mahan and JB Holmes could come flying out of the gate and dominate their matches, or, their inexperience could come to the forefront and prove to be problematic for the American team.
The past few Ryder Cups have seen a European team that is solid from top to bottom. The top European players may not have been as talented as the likes of Woods, Mickelson and Furyk, but they were good enough to beat them on any given day if they played extremely well.
Where the Europeans have really dominated in past years has been from the middle to the end of the depth chart. The bottom half of the American team has contained many mediocre players over the past decade, whereas the bottom half of the European team has remained somewhat consistent.
There is also something that can be said for the European’s team camaraderie.
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