2010, Year of the Euro

...not in money but in professional golf. 2010 was not kind to the "euro" as in money. Greece, Ireland, Spain, UK all contibuted to its collective malaise and near collapse of their monetary unit. But the "Euro" in golf, short form for European, was off the charts greatness. Go no farther than the recent picture above taken at St. Andrews during the Dunhill Links Championship. The conquering Euros hold three of the most coveted trophies in all of all golfdom: Martin Kaymer, a German, holding The Wannamaker, Colin Montgomerie, a Scotsman, holding The Ryder Cup and Graeme McDowell, a northern Irishman, holding the US Open. As an American, I say, "say it ain't so, Joe." Sorry Joe. So and true it is. And get used to it, Yank.

The Euros have replaced the Americans as the dominant force in professional golf. 2010 signaled a changing of the guard. With Tiger in shambles and his golf homies about as interesting as the NBC Nightly News, the Euros rule with flair, togetherness and a contagious personality.

Sure the Americans had their moments in 2010. Exactly two. Phil winning at Augusta. Emergence of rookie Rickie Fowler. And, hmmmm, what else? Well not much else. Professional golf in the USA all of a sudden is boring...lifeless. While the Euro golf world is the polar opposite. Fun, supremely talented and confident.

Honestly, do you get off watching Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar? They are about as exciting as two loaves of white bread. Give me Rory, Graeme, Ian, Padraig, Luke, Lee, Miguel, Paul, Molinari brothers, hell, even Monty, any day of the week. They are exciting, full of the dickens and life embracers. The Americans, on the other hand, spend alot of time looking at money lists, private jet schedules and bible verses.

So, as American fans, what shall we do? Appreciate the opposition and hope our guys loosen up and take note of the fact that the Euros play golf as a game not as a business. They have fun. Our guys look like they are going for root canals. Seriously, has Jim Furyk ever smiled on a golf course? Oh yeah, a couple of weeks ago when he won $11.5mil in the absurdly obscene and meaningless Fedex Cup finale, he managed a sly smile. Wow what a memorable millisecond of golf green theatre that was! Not.

Meanwhile back in Scotland, the Euros drank Guinness together out of the three championship cups at the Jigger Inn in between the incessant "ole, ole, ole" chants.

I could hang with those guys, how 'bout you?