Posted by Jason Sobel
Two years ago, on a Sunday night in September at around 11, maybe 11:30, three American visitors strode into a pub called Oliver St. John Gogarty in the Temple Bar section of Dublin, expecting to find a quiet tavern in which they could hoist a few pints and discuss the news of the day.
The news was that just a few hours earlier, some 10 miles down the road, Team Europe had completely and thoroughly dismantled the United States side for a second straight time in the Ryder Cup, winning by a score of 18½-9½.
As the trio approached the front door of the corner pub, they were met by the unmistakable sound of singsong chants, much like those which often envelop English Premier League soccer contests on a daily basis.
It took a few moments to uncover the exact words, but once deciphered, there was no misunderstanding their meaning: "We've got Montgomerie! We've got Montgomerie!"
Soon the bar's patrons -- packed wall-to-wall like a tin of inebriated, sweaty sardines -- moved on to other members of Europe's winning team. "We've got Harrington! … We've got Westwood! … We've got Garcia! …" The Americans looked up and saw a replay of the day's singles matches on the television. They looked around and saw every single person singing, swaying, smiling, savoring.
The significance of the scene was undeniable. The Ryder Cup victory meant more to the people of Europe than it ever would have for those in the United States.
Call it a case of reverse xenophobia, but I can't imagine a U.S. win in the biennial competition ever arousing such lengthy and zealous celebrations in this country.
Instead, a win would be punctuated by some hooting and hollering among the applause at the venue and a few modest fist-pumps on couches across the nation, followed closely by a click of the remote control to check out NFL games and pennant-race baseball. In the States, the Ryder Cup is hardly the only game in town, and its importance often is lost amongst the increasingly vast sporting landscape.
Simply put, U.S. golf fans want to win the Ryder Cup. Europeans need to win it.
"Obviously, in Europe, we feel a little bit like the country cousins,"
Padraig Harrington said. "The Ryder Cup is a way for the European Tour to prove itself. I think that's why we've played well over the years. We've come out with that goal of getting out there and really trying to prove ourselves and play above ourselves and win. … I still think as a tour, we have a point to prove every time the Ryder Cup comes around, that the European Tour is a strong tour and can stand on its own footing against the U.S. tour."
Another theory includes the fact that such events are oversaturating the U.S. market, with some type of international competition taking place each year.
"I think on the American side, there's obviously The Presidents Cup, as well, so they don't really get a break in amongst that," European Ryder Cup team member
Ian Poulter said. "For European fans, it's every two years. … It means an awful lot to the European guys and the fans. I just think that that is a tournament that they really, really look forward to playing, and the spectators look forward to watching it, because it's just such a great arena and such a great atmosphere, and it's such great TV."
Of course, let's not mistake such comments as implications that American players don't care about winning. Nor do many -- if any -- of them buy into the fact that their fans aren't as enthusiastic about the event as their European counterparts.
"I think you just hear that 'Olé' song a lot," said
Jim Furyk, who will play in his sixth straight Ryder Cup this week. "The argument that it means more to their team -- it just happens to depend on the fact that they've had more success. You see them celebrating a lot and excited and you see us looking more disappointed and looking like we're not having much fun. Well, you know, it's not that much more fun to lose, and it's a hell of a lot more fun to win and be on top and have the momentum.
"I think our fans really enjoy it. They're really excited about it. … I'm expecting it to be just crazy fanatical in Louisville, so I think you're going to get a sense of a lot of pride from the Americans coming up."
He may be right. But here's guessing that "crazy fanatical" in U.S. parlance doesn't necessarily equal the fervor around Europe when their squad clinches the Ryder Cup.
If the U.S. team wins -- well, prove me wrong, my fellow Americans.
Jason Sobel covers golf for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Jason.Sobel@espn3.com.
