No answers for U.S. Ryder Cup squad

It defies explanation.

The Europeans simply aren’t that good, and the Americans can’t be that bad. Right?

Yet for the second straight time in Ryder Cup competition, the Europeans crushed the U.S. The 18 1â2-9 1â2 outcome at the K Club was identical to the pasting the U.S. took at Oakland Hills in 2004.

Europe has won three straight Ryder Cups and five of the last six. But even in defeat, the U.S. used to keep it close.

Now the matches are starting to resemble the pre-European team days, when the U.S. routinely stomped on outmanned squads from Britain and Ireland.

How bad was it Sunday for the Americans? Tiger Woods’ caddie, Steve Williams, accidentally dropped Woods’ 9-iron into a lake on the seventh hole while cleaning the club. Woods managed to laugh, meaning Williams still has a job. The Americans struggled to explain another whipping at the hands of a continent that hasn’t produced a winner in a major tournament since 1999.

“Everyone wants answers out there,” Jim Furyk said. “What happened? Why? What’s the difference between 181â2 and 91â2? I don’t think there’s a guy up here who can give you that answer.”

The disparity would be more understandable if Europe’s big guns, Sergio Garcia and Colin Montgomerie, weren’t big zeros in majors.

Montgomerie repeatedly fails in the clutch in the majors. But put him in a Ryder Cup and he is as flawless as Woods with a five-shot lead in the final round of the Masters. A 1-up victory over David Toms on Sunday lifted Montgomerie’s career singles record to 6-0-2.

Despite losing 4 and 3 to a red-hot Stewart Cink, Garcia went 4-1 in this year’s matches and is 14-4-2 overall. This is the same Garcia who slinked away after failing miserably in the final pairing with Woods at the British Open.

Perhaps Garcia and Montgomerie thrive in the team setup because they know if they fail, someone has their backs. It seems to reduce pressure for them. Garcia putts like a different player in Ryder Cups.

Putting clearly was the difference this year. The Europeans couldn’t seem to miss.

“Around the greens, they were magical,” U.S. captain Tom Lehman said. “They putt well and they chip well every Ryder Cup. I was just amazed at the short game.”

Among the other Europeans, Paul Casey looks like a budding superstar, and Northwestern’s very own Luke Donald stood out, going 3-0. Captain Ian Woosnam got contributions from every player on his team, especially Darren Clarke.

Clarke’s wife, Heather, died of breast cancer last month, but Woosnam added Clarke to the European team as a captain’s pick. The emotions overflowed on No. 16 when Clarke completed a 3-and-2 victory over Zach Johnson.

The U.S. probably needs its standout young players, like Lucas Glover, J.B. Holmes and Ryan Moore, to get better fast. And it has to hope Woods and Mickelson somehow find the same enthusiasm for this event that Garcia and Montgomerie have.

Paul Azinger appears to be a lock to lead the U.S. team in 2008 at Valhalla in Louisville. Asked what advice he would give the next captain, Lehman said, “I need to think about that some.”

Perhaps the U.S. should just show up on Thursday of Ryder Cup week, throw some balls on the greens and start putting. Then go out and play.

Azinger faces a considerable challenge. Whatever the explanation, it can’t get any worse for the Americans.