U.S. will lose Presidents Cup because Tiger Woods is too good

For a while, there were high hopes around here for the U.S. team in the upcoming Presidents Cup. Mainly due to momentum.

You see, in recent years, U.S. teams have lost every event in every sport, played anywhere against anyone, under any rules. Maybe that’s an over exaggeration, but not by much. After literally decades of wiping the floor with the world in all manner of sport, the last several years have been a time of depressing comeuppance, as U.S. teams have lost in golf, basketball, baseball, boxing, rugby, jai lai, etc., etc.

Recently, however, it seems times have changed. In basketball, the U.S. finally may have a dream team worth dreaming about, as the team blasted through Olympic qualifying. In golf, both the Walker Cup and Solheim Cup went to the U.S. teams. Could it be a rebirth of American domination? Could a smashing victory in the President’s Cup be around the corner?

Simple answer: No.

Simple reason: Tiger Woods.

Simple fact: Tiger Woods is just too good for the U.S.’s own good.

I come to these painful conclusions due to the lead paragraph in a Reuters story about the President’s Cup:

“U.S. captain Jack Nicklaus has given up trying to find the perfect match for Tiger Woods after three Presidents Cups and he will leave it to the world number one to decide who he wants to partner.”

That’s enough for me. Because you can bet the International Team isn’t having this problem. They’ve come together as a team, taken their marching orders, and are ready to rock, regardless of who they are playing with or against.

Woods doesn’t have an impeccable record in Ryder Cups or Presidents Cups, but he’s been just fine. But obviously, he’s having some type of effect on his teammates. Face it, Woods may be the best individual athlete of his time. Being part of a team, however, he may be a distraction.

Sure the U.S. has a good record in the Presidents Cup. Sure it’s not the Ryder Cup, where a loss is seemingly preordained. But it’s just hard for me to see the U.S. meld into the team they need to be to win this thing. All because, in the end, Tiger Woods is just too good.

–WKW