Is it team spirit?  Unity? Joie de Vivre?  Mystique?  Why are the Europeans dominating Ryder Cup competition again in a disturbing pattern for any American fan as well as any fan of parity and drama in sports?  Maybe it's the golf god's revenge on Tiger for his individual dominance.  Maybe but unlikely. 

The fact is Europe has more experienced consistent perfomers across the board.  Underneath rock star Tiger and Jim Furyk, what is the US team really bringing to the table?  A slumping Phil Mickelson seems to be the best of the rest, while even Europe's wild card players, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, bring both inspiration and professionalism to the biennial team event in golf that rewards team-wide cohesivenss over individual brilliance. 

It's pretty plain to see, the US is stretched thin for golfers.  Overreliance on Tiger and Furyk is not so much a misguided strategy as a pure lack of options for the US team.  All you Europeans can go on, and talk about the spirit of Woosnam's squad, and the just desserts of the American team and karma and even fate, but it just boils down to a simple fact: you've got better players on your team. 

While a Sergio Garcia never attained the individual greatness of the mercurial Woods, he has maintained a consistent performance level his whole career, and steadiness is what serves any golf team best--it is what serves any sports team best.  Ian Woosnam knows exactly what to expect from his players, while four American team members have never even been to the Ryder Cup, compared to only two for Europe who complement a well-seasoned roster of Ryder past competitors.  There is only so far that a Tiger can carry a team, and this weekend in Ireland goes to show once again that no person and no athlete is greater than his team in any sport.