Golf Clubs � Ryder Cup � Has the Tiger Lost his Stripes?

The American team lost the Ryder Cup once again, does Tiger Woods invest less in the team event than when he's swinging his golf clubs for solo glory?

World number one

Tiger Woods may the world champion and it seems he can do no wrong with his golf clubs, but when it comes to the Ryder Cup things haven't been so smooth going.

Ryder Cup slur

Back in 2002, Woods caused a media stir when he was quoted in the press saying he didn't understand why the Ryder Cup was surrounded by so much hype.

�Maybe you can shed some light on that?� Woods asked reporters at the time.

Tiger loses his stripes

The American mega-star uses his golf clubs to thrash just about every tournament he enters, but his track record on the Ryder Cup is mediocre. Some critics think his ego and individualism get in the way. He has been quoted before saying the team format with 18 holes can make the Ryder Cup a more random game for his golf clubs.

Million dollar question

He also told the media in 2002 that he'd rather swing his golf clubs to victory at the $1m World Golf Championships than the Ryder Cup. When asked why, Woods replied: �I can think of a million reasons why.� Although a pun on the prize money, his comments were felt to devalue the Ryder Cup.

�I am not saying the Ryder Cup is not important. It's a completely different animal,� he added stating it was not an individual but a team effort.

�You can go there and play absolutely lousy and the team can win or you can play absolutely great and win all five matches and lose the Ryder Cup.�

Single-mindedness

Perhaps Tiger Woods is not used to taking his golf clubs into a scenario such as the Ryder Cup where he could lose. Some believe his single-mindedness comes from his goal to beat Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 Major titles. Someone asked Woods if he ever felt sorry for the golfers he beats. He replied with an emphatic �no'.

Poor loser

It may be frustration that the individual phenomenon that is Tiger Woods with a set of golf clubs is not a guaranteed success in the team effort of the Ryder Cup. Woods doesn't like to lose.

Sports commentators wonder whether there is any game Tiger Woods can't face � his golf clubs are the most intimidating out there � but the Ryder Cup continues to elude his grasp. It's a curious contrast, perhaps proving that old saying that there's no �I' in �team'.

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