US enter ‘realm of embarrassment and humiliation’

DEBACLE, embarrassment and humiliation is not how Fáilte Ireland would have envisaged the reviews of the first Ryder Cup on Irish soil, but thankfully for them the American media was only referring to the efforts of its own team.

“We have entered into the realm of embarrassment and humiliation,” wrote Bob Ryan in the Boston Globe.

“The US has lost five of the last six Ryder Cup competitions, and it could easily have been seven of eight.”

In the New York Daily News, Hank Gola commented: “It’s been almost 30 years since Jack Nicklaus, tired of beating up on the Brits, suggested that the Ryder Cup sides should be evened out by bringing in the rest of Europe. We have now arrived at the other extreme.“Uncle Sam said “uncle” again yesterday, bowing to an obviously superior European team that made history by winning the Ryder Cup for the third straight time and the fifth in the last six. And, for the second straight time, it was a debacle.”

Rather than start playing the blame game, many American journalists at the K Club opted to take a Ryder Cup defeat for their country on the chin.

Newspaper readers were greeted by a mixture of resignation, bemusement and downright admiration for the European team labelled by Tom Lehman as the best ever.

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Joe Logan led the way, writing: “Losing the Ryder Cup for a record third straight time is bad enough. Getting stomped is another. After the pummelling the US team took… there would seem to be little left to say or do. Except maybe to face the fact that the Europeans are simply better at this team-golf thing than we are.”

George Willis of the New York Post struck a similar tone. “This wasn’t about a lack of camaraderie or passion or all the other intangibles that have been used as excuses when the United States gets whipped in the Ryder Cup matches.

“It wasn’t about not liking each other or not caring enough about the event or wishing they could earn a sizeable pay-cheque for their time and troubles. It’s time to face the obvious: the Europeans are simply better than we are. America’s best were a bust.”

The Washington Post’s Thomas Boswell reported: “Americans should have been issued a blindfold at the gate Friday and a last cigarette before the lopsided singles matches began Sunday at the K Club.

“The players Lehman sent to the post were a truly representative cross-section of America’s best golfers. Even his four little-known rookies played better than expected.

“The United States was absolutely squashed, becoming the first Ryder Cup team ever to lose all five sessions. Wake up; lose. Have lunch; lose. Then sleep and repeat.”

Any way you looked at it, observed ESPN.com’s Gene Wojciechowski, the US got beaten. “Underdog... we lose. Favourite... we lose. On home soil... we lose. On foreign turf... we lose. With hard-ass Hal Sutton as captain... we lose. With caring, ultra-organised Tom Lehman... we lose. With Michael Jordan and former presidents Bill Clinton and George H W Bush in attendance... we lose. With Woods playing five matches... we lose.”

Still, Stan Awtrey of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was not about to start pointing the finger at Lehman.

“Truth be told, it doesn’t matter who captains the team — Capt Jack Sparrow or Cap’n Crunch — as long as those responsible for playing the game don’t produce results.”

For the Los Angeles Times, Thomas Bonk drew inspiration from Woods’ caddie Steve Williams, and his accidental drowning of Tiger’s 9-iron in the Liffey.

“Maybe Williams was onto something,” wrote Bonk. “The way things are going for the US team, they should all consider tossing their clubs away and starting over.”