Paul Azinger's Ryder Cup Team Is Better Off Without Tiger Woods
We all know "that guy". The guy who is way too competitive about everything. You know, the guy that has to beat you off the line at EVERY stoplight, whether his wife and kids are in the minivan or not.
That dude who carries his court shoes to the gym instead of wearing them so as not to get the soles dirty. He tells his wife privately that he can beat his best friend at every sport, every time, and believes it.
The same guy that is never self- deprecating, his humor is always at others' expense. The guy who argues bad calls well into dinner the following night. The co-worker that you can't trust if a promotion is at stake. If you don't know this guy, you are this guy.
Tiger Woods is that guy.
Nobody is ever relaxed around him, on or off the golf course. We are getting more hints of his temperament lately, more club slamming and swearing than before. It is part of his strategy in order to be the best in the world and it works.
Every other player on tour is intimidated by his presence. His only friends are either on his payroll or have nothing to do with professional golf. He rarely talks to playing partners during events. Some call it focus or mental toughness. I call it anti-social behavior. His father raised him to be that person, and he can't change if he wanted to.
But why would he want to? Tiger should never let his mental guard down for one second around the other tour players. Unless they are on his team.
Americans have perpetually lost the Ryder Cup to inferior European players for this exact reason. They have lost four out of five times with Tiger on the team. Because he wasn't really ON the team, just a member.
Golf, as played today on the PGA Tour is a strictly individual sport. That's the game Tiger is best at, not a team game. Tiger's personal performance has been a little above average in the matches, but not dominating.
This year's Ryder Cup team will be decidedly different. A natural leader will have the opportunity to emerge, which couldn't happen with Tiger in the room. Who would be arrogant enough to insert themselves as the team leader with Tiger as part of the team?
This year, the team members can actually bond as a team with a common foe, not unlike every other tour event. Tour players now battle together every week against Tiger. They celebrate together each other's victories against Tiger and they are sincere.
For this reason, and lackluster European player performance this season, leads me to predict today:
The Americans will win the Ryder Cup.
