Why Do the Europeans Always Seem to Win Ryder Cup?

The 2021 Ryder Cup begins this week at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. The United States team is favored to win over their European rivals but why does it feel like the Europeans are actually the favorites?

Probably because of the success the European side has had over the last 30 years. Since 1991, the Euros have won the cup nine times compared to just five for the Americans. Europe has won four of the last five cups and seven of the last nine. It has become their event over that span.

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And many of the setups seemed like what we are seeing this week. How many times over the past 30 years have we looked at the rosters and thought there was no way that the European team was going to beat the Americans. Yet they did.

There was one time when the opposite happened. In 2008, the U.S. was without Tiger Woods and were heavy underdogs to the Euros. But Paul Azinger’s side had an effective strategy and won the cup on Sunday, breaking a three-match losing streak in the process.

To me, it seems to come down to one thing at every Ryder Cup – the better team.

Not the team with the most talent. That’s different. I mean the better team. As in a team that plays together. That’s where the Europeans are better than the Americans.

If you showed video from the past five Ryder Cups to someone who knew nothing about golf, they could tell you which side was doing better. Just look at the body language of the Europeans. They look like they are having fun. And, over the last five Ryder Cups, they usually are.

The Euros also seem to like each other more than the Americans. There are exceptions but think about the passion of Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia against the emotionless Dustin Johnson or Patrick Cantlay.

We find ourselves right back in the same spot again as the 2021 Ryder Cup approaches. The Americans have 10 of the top 12 players, according to the Official World Golf Rankings, in this week’s event. If you go by that, the Americans should be overwhelming favorites.

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But what the Americans lack, the Europeans have plenty of – experience. Garcia has earned more points than any player in the history of the event. Poulter is always in the middle of the Ryder Cup. Lee Westwood seems like he has been playing in this event forever.

Is that enough for the Europeans to win yet again? Or will the young American team be able to get the cup back? That remains to be seen.

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