Ugly Americans
© Bill Howard
We all remember the reprehensible display during the Ryder Cup. Just about the time the dust had settled, we're at it again. This time it wasn't an etiquette issue. Nope, we've transcended simple matters of decorum. Now we're into the rules.
I'll spare you a rehash of the gory details. Simply put, a member of the European team was forced to replay a shot. She had innocently, I assume, played out of turn. The American team was well within their rights to have her replay the shot. It is very clearly stated in the Rules of Golf. All perfectly legal, but horrifically ugly.
What made this situation really sticky was that the shot in question was holed from off the green. The American team reminded me of spoiled kids demanding a "do over".
I doubt either episode would have received as much attention if the U.S. weren't on a sort of double secret probation. We've been unbearably arrogant about the quality of our professional golf. Our air of superiority has cost us in the court of world opinion. We're now in the position of having the rest of the planet hope we screw up. Unfortunately, we keep obliging them.
There once was a time when the United States boasted the best touring professionals. Those who did not make the grade here were sent to plunder the European or Asian Tours. That time is long gone. Some of our better players now come home from the European Tour with their tails between their legs.
We can claim the world's single finest player as one of our own. But that's it. The rest of the world's golfing greatness is scattered equally about the globe. Fiji, Japan, The United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, and South Africa could all argue that the world's best has been theirs at some point in the past decade. They'd be right.
We've got to get over this "ours are better than theirs" attitude. That goes for both sides of the pond. Why is it so hard to enjoy golf well played? At the rate we've been going, we'll soon develop golf hooligans. Hey, they did wonders for soccer's reputation.
Here's the point. Enjoy the golf, not the nationalism.
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