RYDER CUP: First blood to USA

September seems a long time away. Before the eyes of the golfing world are trained on Valhalla for the Ryder Cup, we have three more Majors to enjoy, for a start.

And yet, experience tells us these three and a half months will fly by. Before we know it, we’ll be watching the teams line up in their suits for the superfluous opening ceremony.

Certainly, there are minor points being scored and it has to be said most of the scoring blows are being landed by America.

I don’t think anyone is expecting anything other than a very different USA side for this year’s matches than the meek efforts produced in the last three contests.

America have a teak-tough captain and vice-captains which make Paul Azinger look like a sentimental, weak-willed wet lettuce.

Tiger is making the right noises and, with both he and Azinger enjoying disciplined upbringing by father in the military, it might be that this is a captain who strikes the right notes with the predator who traditionally hunts alone.

The US side is also already looking strong, with a injection of strong-minded younger players who won’t be fazed by the Ryder Cup.

In contrast, Team Europe isn’t giving off the kind of positivity we have been used to with our Ryder Cup side in recent years.

When Nick Faldo named Jose Maria Olazabal and Paul McGinley as his vice-captains they looked brilliant appointments.

Both played in the last matches meaning they are in touch with this generation. Both are also very popular, which could be very handy given Faldo is still not everyone’s cup of tea despite great efforts to the change the perception of him.

McGinley’s resignation no more than a month later was a blow and Faldo has yet to fill the vacancy, despite the expectation being that he would do so by the time of the BMW at Wentworth last week.

The side looks OK so far but perhaps without the real strength in depth which characterised the last two teams.

Still, there is time for some senior players to play their way in and of course Faldo’s picks will be strong.

And let’s not forget Bjorngate just before the last Cup. In the wake of his outburst at skipper Ian Woosnam, it seemed the Welshman wasn’t in control of the side and of the matches.

It turned out to be anything but the case and that may well happen again.

And if Faldo is still short of a vice-captain in a couple of months time, why not invite a man who gets under Azinger’s skin even more than the Englishman does: Seve Ballesteros.

Faldo-Ballesteros-Olazabal v Azinger-Floyd-Stockton would probably be more entertaining than the golf itself.

By Chris Bertram