Rory McIlroy's record breaking US Open victory yesterday in our nation's capital was the 5th straight major won by a non American golfer, the last two winners of our nation's golf championship are both from the Northern Ireland (population 1.8 million); by comparison the metro Baltimore area has a population of 2.5 million. The world rankings tell the same story as the recent major count and unlike last season the new wave of young American golfers seem to be regressing. For years American golf was carried by Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, but with both of their contending futures in serious doubt is American golf headed for a Chicago Cub like drought?
During the final round of The Masters this year as 8 different players contended for the Green Jacket, the only Americans outside of Woods to finish in the top 10 were 36 year old Bo Van Pelt (1 PGA tour victory) and 34 year old Ryan Palmer (3 PGA victories all from November to January) and neither threatened to actually win. Yesterday at Congressional the top 10 contained two Americans, 33 year old Robert Garrigus (1 PGA victory) and 24 year old PGA tour rookie Kevin Chappell. Chappell looks to have a bright future, but all four are strangers to anyone who doesn't routinely watch the "Morning Drive" on the Golf Channel. This is a far cry from last season when it seemed like a young American was contending in every major and in a few cases only a late round shot or decision was keeping them from victory. It feels as if the new generation of Euro's are comfortable contending and winning while the American's are as fragile in winning time as Lebron, a Sedin twin, or Luongo. In an individual sport with no teammates to hold you accountable are the young American's just too comfortable cashing checks and living the lifestyle while the Euro's are driven to win, or are the Euro's just better players? The worldwide resumes of the players would suggest that Watson, Kuchar, Watney, Kim, DJ, Overton, Mahan, O'Hair, and Fowler have the games to compete with the likes of McDowell, Oosthuizen, Kaymer, Schwartzel, McIlroy, but the head to head results indicate that it will be easier to get Michael Richards an acting job before the US wins the Ryder Cup.
Bubba Watson has won twice this season after losing in a playoff to Kaymer at last year's PGA Championship. He has come into both majors in good form looking like America's best hope and has finished T38 and T63, while the conversation has been about his clothing choices and not his game. Matt Kuchar is the most liked guy on tour and looks like the neighbor everyone wishes they had, he is a weekly ATM, but his only notable win on tour was in last year's Finchem fake playoffs and he has faded from contention on Sunday in his last 3 majors. Nick Watney and Hunter Mahan have both won WGC golf events in the last 12 months and contended in majors last season, they were popular picks in both majors this season and have a combined 3 MC's and a 46th place finish. Jeff Overton and last year's PGA Rookie of the Year Rickie Fowler have never won on tour, but were some of the USA's best in the Ryder Cup and both seemed poised to use that experience as a springboard, instead a T38 and T44 are their best major finishes. For my money the two most troubling no-shows this season have been Anthony Kim and Dustin Johnson. Kim shoot a final round 66 last year at Augusta to finish 3rd and looked on his way to multiple majors, he was the star of the last US winning Ryder Cup team before missing the end of last season with a wrist injury. His return this year has been rocky to say the least with only one top 10 and looks headed for a Mark Prior type career arc. At least he has an injury to help explain his poor play an excuse Dustin Johnson doesn't have. Johnson has all the talent in the world and contended in both last year's US Open and PGA Championship, but while McIlory used his major disappointments to improve they seem knocked Johnson down a few pegs. His fragile mental game on the course and his off the course issues have combined to leave him outside of the top 20 in consecutive majors for the first time in his career. In all honesty he has looked more like Vince Carter than a player you can count on when the result is in doubt.
Each player discussed in the previous paragraph has their own issues, but as a group they have underperformed in recent major Championships. American golf fans want to see American's contend especially young players who look to have staying power. Hopefully hearing the gallery chant "Rory" yesterday in their home country drives this group to improve and return the favor in next month's British Open, but as every major comes and goes with a non-American winner the drought takes on a life of its own. Golf could be on the verge of a golden era where multiple young players from around the world for major Championships as opposed to watching a tournament for one or two players, but without a few American contenders the game seems headed for a tennis like niche where the Golf Channel handles the tourney's before noon in this country.
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