Well, while I was away, the Europeans mauled our American golfers (again) in the Ryder Cup matches. And this time we didn’t even make a run for it on Sunday during singles matches. Tiger was quoted this week with several items he believes are needed for our golf team to compete.

I saw an golf article in the USA Today in which Tiger indicated that “curing America’s Ryder Cup ills requires an infusion of good young players, getting off to better starts in the matches, a true home-course advantage, and making timely putts”. Please give me a break here, is there anything else that we want to add to the list to cover for the US golfers?

I think that, unfortunately, this is a too politically correct answer and that Tiger is just trying not to anger anyone. But his remarks got me thinking, and maybe I am contradicting myself from my last Ryder Cup post, but here is what I think is needed for the US Ryder Cup team.

First, I believe that Tiger is on the right track with his comments about young golfers. I think that we need to move away from the current format for picking the US Ryder Cup golf team. The points system rewards our US pro golfers that are focused on individual success on the pro tour. And, obviously, that is not what cuts it in international team competition. I think that the format should be a three man selection committee. The makeup should be the current team captain and then two pro golfers selected by the PGA touring pros to represent them in this process. The entire US team should be picked by this three man committee.

Second, I think that the committee would be wise to heed Tiger in their selections. What makes for a successful, individual US pro golf competitor appears to be way different than what the Ryder Cup requires. It appears to me that a couple of “grizzled veterans”, like Tiger or Phil, sprinkled with the best young talent on the pro tour, might have a better chance.

Why you ask? Well, it’s just my humble opinion, but I think that the young gun golfers, fresh out of college competition, and still working hard to master their game to become “world famous” golf pros, may just have the drive, focus, team chemistry, and practice habits that are needed. The touring pros are geared towards winning the major golf tournaments. These young golfers, I believe, will bring more of what’s needed to win a team competition.

Just my humble Golf Nut opinion.