Who can be America’s saviour?

IT is one of those assessments that is personal to the core, a belief you attach yourself to because you’re comfortable no one can offer evidence to the contrary or shake you from your point of view.

In major golf championship history, the best collection of champions in a decade belongs to the British Open Championship from the 1970s. The winners, in order, of the Claret Jug were Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Trevino, Tom Weiskopf, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Johnny Miller, Watson, Nicklaus, and Seve Ballesteros.

Ten years of unmatched glory, seven different winners, 49 major championships between them.

Nine of the 10 tournaments were won by a man who eventually was enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame — and the one year that wasn’t (1973) went to someone (Weiskopf) who had Hall of Fame talent, but never fulfilled it.

There’s another aspect to that list that jumps out at you — five of the seven winners who combined for eight of 10 Claret Jugs from 1970-79 were American. That’s an imposing percentage, but surely not an extraordinary one, because from 1995-2009, 11 of 15 Open Championships went to a player with red, white and blue beside his name.

Consider this trip down memory lane to serve a purpose, which is to remind one and all that it hasn’t always been as it currently is, with such a mystifying search for an American contender. Down to one good leg and 19th in the world rankings, Tiger Woods — once America’s sure bet — is not in attendance for the 140th edition of the event at Royal St George’s and thus is the door wide open for someone to assume the duties of flying the Stars and Stripes.

Ah, but who? You’d perhaps have more luck guessing what the British summer weather will be like than searching for the identity of America’s best hope.

Sadly, the quest leaves you less than inspired. True, Americans have four names within the top 10 in the world order — Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 10, Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, and Nick Watney, respectively.

But truth be told, the links game remains partly a mystery to them, because combined they’ve played in 37 British Opens but only scored four top 10s.

While Stricker is coming off of a victory in the States and Kuchar is being recognised far and wide as a performer of uncanny consistency, there are other possibilities tossed out there — from the tall and powerful Dustin Johnson to the unheralded Bo Van Pelt to the explosive Brandt Snedeker.

None, however, send you rushing to the betting windows like those European stalwarts — Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer. You could argue that talents from throughout the world — from Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen out of South Africa, to Jason Day and Adam Scott of Australia, to the pride of Italy, Matteo Mannasero and Franceso Molinari — are more attractive than any contender from the USA.

Each of the last five major championships have been won by a European or South African who honed his game in Europe and it would be a startling upset if the worst US drought in the majors in the modern era didn’t continue. It’s a cause for anguish, perhaps, but the other view of it is this: Let it serve as a testament to the talent coming from all corners of the globe, not as an indictment to US shortcomings.

Still, one angle to this situation is worth exploring: Mickelson’s sorry record in the game’s oldest championship. Playing for the 18th time, the lefthander has but one top 10, that being in 2004 at Troon when he contended for the only time.

Dynamic at the Masters, an annual contender in the US Open, always a threat in the PGA Championship, Mickelson for some reason has never figured out links golf. Even more curious, he said Tuesday that “I’m going to try to learn and enjoy the challenge of playing links golf”.

It’s a nice thought, but shouldn’t it have been put in motion, say, oh, 15 years ago, or so? Maybe then America wouldn’t be in this predicament.