2010 Ryder Cup: Corey Pavin, We Have a Problem

While Corey Pavin is undoubtedly shaking in his spikes, 2008 Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger is probably counting his lucky stars that he is now writing a book about the American’s 2008 Ryder Cup victory at Valhalla rather than being the one responsible for taking on a European team that is beginning to look more superior by the day.    

Eight of the current Top-13 players in the world will likely be part of Colin Montgomerie’s 2010 European Ryder Cup team.

Three of the final four players in last week’s Accenture Match Play Championship were European, and the final was an all-English battle between Paul Casey and Ian Poulter.

The young guns that will make up the core of the European Ryder Cup team for the next decade are progressing at a much quicker rate than the American young guns.  

While the PGA Tour is worrying about Tiger Woods’ transgressions and square grooves, the European’s are playing some exceptionally good golf.  

At this time last year, the likes of Sean O’Hair, Anthony Kim, and Hunter Mahan were considered amongst the top young players in the world.  Fast forward 12 months, and there is no question that players such as Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Paul Casey, and Ross Fisher have overtaken them.  

Now in fairness, European players typically shoot up the World Golf Rankings towards the start of the year because the European Tour’s season kicks off with some big tournaments in January and February while the PGA Tour doesn’t really get going until the end of the West Coast swing in late February.  

But, this tidal wave of a change that we have been seeing in the World Golf Rankings is nothing new.  This has been building for years, and unfortunately for Corey Pavin and the American team, it is reaching epic proportions during a Ryder Cup year.

If the Ryder Cup were to take place today, the American side would consist of:

Tiger Woods

Phil Mickelson

Steve Stricker

Dustin Johnson

Lucas Glover

Stewart Cink

Ben Crane

David Duval

J.B. Holmes

Ryan Palmer

Obviously the 2010 PGA Tour season is still very young, and some of the better American players will have more than enough time to play their way onto the 2010 squad.

However, whether or not Woods decides to hit the links in 2010, or some of the young American stars can begin maturing more rapidly is almost irrelevant at this point.  

This next statement might be a little harsh for some to accept or even consider, but the 2010 American Ryder Cup team could very well supersede the 2006 squad as the worst American Ryder Cup team ever assembled.

Add that in with the fact that the Europeans will have home course advantage, and Corey Pavin’s hairline might go from receding to non-existent over the next eight months.

Corey, we have a serious problem on our hands.

And the most disconcerting part about this problem is that there is no realistic solution in sight.