I have no idea if the Detroit Free Press's Drew Sharp actually believes what he writes, or if he was put up to this by his editor, but either way, in today's column he suggests that the U.S. Ryder Cup team will be mentally stronger without Tiger Woods. The idea of addition through subtraction of the world's best player sounds crazy, but the Americans become less aristocratic without Tiger's special care and feeding. Whom to pair with him? How to keep him motivated?Sharp points to comments by Kenny Perry, the guy so mentally tough that he opted out of the U.S. and British Opens to pad his Ryder Cup points total at such grueling events like the John Deere Classic, who opined earlier this season that the U.S. team "may become a tougher team" without Eldrick.
That's certainly a possibility; I mean, it's not like Woods has an exemplary Ryder Cup record -- he's 7-11-2 in five events -- but I"m not sure how losing the world's best player equates to a mentally tougher team.
If Sharp means the Americans will be better prepared for Sergio Garcia to stick it to them, then, fine, I'll concede as much. If, instead, a Tiger-less U.S. team will somehow come together and be more focused ... well, I suppose it could happen. John Daly could also win the PGA Championship this weekend.
Let's just say I'm skeptical in both instances.
