Phil Mickelson on the other hand appears to be suffering the worst type of Ryder Cup hangover. The World #3 has pulled out of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Hawaii and has said his season is now over.

Perhaps the pressure has grown too great for a man who has failed to break 70 in the final round of a tournament since March. There’s no reason to bet against Mickelson returning fresh in 2007 and challenging Tiger’s supremacy again, but it’s still a sad end to what was once a season full of promise.

Jim Furyk showed why he was World #2 with his fourth place finish in the American Express Championship and is in position to contend in next year’s majors.

Europe’s finest are also finally back in action after their long Ryder Cup celebration. Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomery, Sergio Garcia, Jose Maria Olazabal and Padraig Harrington put up a strong showing for the bleary-eyed Europeans, all finishing in the top 41 at the Amex.
So it appears to be business as usual on the PGA tour with Tiger dominating and the rest fighting for second place. His commanding presence leaves most challengers defeated before they ever tee off.

However the Ryder Cup is proving a different story as the European players appear to use their team unity and togetherness to find the mental strength to not only defeat but also humble the might of the American team.

One point that many golf experts and fans noticed about the 36th Ryder cup in Ireland was the fact that Team Europe was all smiles over the three days, enjoying the occasion, the atmosphere and, perhaps most tellingly, each other.

The American team on the other hand looked tight the entire time and if they were enjoying the occasion they did a fine job hiding it.
The key is for Team America to go back to the drawing board and agree on one crucial goal: Have fun!

Start enjoying the great occasion that is the Ryder Cup, start to enjoy playing on a team and develop the chemistry and spirit that has been sorely missing from consecutive Ryder Cup teams whose talent was the least of concerns.