MIKE PURKEY
Come to think of it, Corey Pavin has the
worst job in golf. How would you like to
be handed the task of putting together an
American team to beat the Europeans in the
Ryder Cup?
Given the performance of the United
States’ contingent at its national champion-
ship, the prospects of an American victory
in the fall in Wales look as dim as a fading
summer sunset. Not only will the U.S. team
be the underdogs, it might have absolutely
no chance.
The top end of American professional
golf hasn’t been in such dire straits since
before Tiger Woods introduced himself in
1996 with a cheeky, “Hello, world.” Since
then, American golf has been churned up
in the Tiger tsunami and now the flotsam
and jetsam have washed up on shore. The
wreckage is not a pretty sight and it cuts a
wide swath.
What’s left is a country whose golf is in
tatters. Only six Americans are in the top 20
of the Official World Golf Ranking and none
of them is playing a lick. If you had been
offered a head-to-head bet pitting Woods
against Frenchman Gregory Havret in the
final round of the U.S. Open, how much ac-
tion would you have anticipated on Havret?
When they went birdie-bogey on the first
hole on Sunday in Havret’s favor, the game
was over. Woods bogeyed half of his first 12
holes and Havret went on to finish second
at Pebble Beach, one shot behind winner
Graeme McDowell. Not only didn’t Woods
threaten the lead, he looked no better than
ordinary. If you can’t beat Havret, who can
you beat?
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