Where are the Americans?
June 21st, 2011 § Leave a Comment
After watching Rory McIlroy blow through Congressional like it was a local pitch and putt, it’s hard to take anything away from this year’s U.S. Open except for the fact that McIlroy is golf’s new savior, the heir apparent to Tiger Woods’ throne. However, one thing was noticeably lacking from this year’s Open – the complete lack of any Americans in contention.
In the last seven majors, only one, the 2010 Masters, has been won by an American. There are three Americans in the World Golf Top Ten, and nine of the top 20. So why did the Americans not even factor into the Open? Steve Stricker came in for the most part as the favorite, with a game that many believed was a perfect fit for Congressional. Others (foolishly) believed that Phil Mickelson was finally due for his first U.S. Open victory, only to watch him play the course from anywhere but the fairway. The top American finishers? Kevin Chappell and Robert Garrigus, two relative unknowns. While its hard to say that anybody other than Rory was really in contention, the Americans were truly not even a factor from the beginning. Chappell and Garrigus both shot great final rounds to sneak towards the top of the leader board, in a finish that looked in impressive but in reality was like A-Rod, the king of useless stats, hitting a home run when the Yankees are already up by 10.
Why can’t Americans contend in the majors anymore? Is there something about the system of golf that American youth are being brought up in? Surely there are many more golfers in America playing than there are in a country as small as Northern Ireland, which holds the last two U.S. Opens. Outside of Tiger and Phil, the majors won by Americans have been one-timers, relative flukes. One reason is that golfers may simply not have the drive or the preparation with which Woods was raised. Few American golfers are likely to have been raised by a dad who jingled coins or rattled clubs in their backswings.
American golf is looking for its new hero, and this past week, it seems as is they have adopted an Irishman. It’s hard to get excited about any of the young Americans. While they are certainly a likeable bunch, not many are expecting any of the “Golf Boys” to come through in the next major. Bubba Watson? Too inconsistent. Rickie Fowler? Too young. Dustin Johnson? Too likely to hit one three fairways over. Some, like Lucas Glover or Zach Johnson, have proven that they can win a major. Both have since failed to show that they are worthy of being two-time major champions. There is a problem with American golf, and nobody knows just what it is.
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