The United States won't have the world's top golfer to turn to when they take on Europe in the 37th Ryder Cup this week, but then the trans-Atlantic tussle has rarely brought out the best in Tiger Woods.

"I don't see any positives in not having Tiger Woods on the team," US captain Paul Azinger said last month. "He is arguably the greatest golfer who has ever lived.

"So to not have him on our team, if you want to paint a positive scenario for that, go ahead and try. I don't see one yet."

It might be blasphemy to say the United States could be better off without 14-time major champion Woods, who is recovering from knee surgery, when the match play contest begins on Friday.

But the fact remains Woods's Ryder Cup record doesn't reflect his individual success. In five Ryder Cup appearances, Woods has played on just one winning US team.

Europe have won five of the last six, including the last three, and Woods was powerless to prevent stunning European wins of 18.5-9.5 at both Oakland Hills in Michigan in 2004 and at the K Club outside Dublin in 2006.

In 25 matches, Woods has won 10, halved two and lost 13, a record he admitted in 2006 he didn't think was worthy of his own high standards.

But the big problem for Woods in the Ryder Cup has always been that he can't do it alone.

And that means the intimidation factor that stands him in such good stead in major championships has little effect on European players when it comes to the coveted Cup.

As European captain Sam Torrance put it in 2002: "They may have a Tiger, but I've got 12 lions."

Woods's presence has sometimes seemed to put as much pressure on his Ryder Cup team-mates as on his opponents, his highs and lows having disproportionate effect on both.

Without Woods in the mix, Azinger admitted, that could change. "There's no doubt that beating Tiger Woods could give them a boost and has given Europe a boost," Azinger said.

"Maybe our team kind of looks up and goes 'Oh my gosh, Tiger's losing.' That's a possibility. We'll see."

Azinger himself will be spared having to figure out who to pair with the superstar for fourball and foursomes matches, a tricky task that went notoriously wrong when then captain Hal Sutton tried teaming Woods and Phil Mickelson in 2004.

World number two Mickelson is the most experienced player in Azinger's squad, which also includes six Ryder Cup rookies.

"Phil is a good friend of mine and arguably one of the best players that's ever lived, with 34 wins and three major titles," said Azinger, who added he had solicited Mickelson's advice on course set-up and other matters.

To help stoke fan frenzy, Azinger has Kentucky natives Kenny Perry, a veteran who qualified through the points system, and JB Holmes, a big hitter chosen by "Zinger" as a captain's pick.

Azinger was unfazed by the idea of having half of his team made up of newcomers to the often tense competition.

"Anybody who has played Ryder Cup in the last 12 years, I mean, we've lost five of the last six Ryder Cups so most of their experiences are bad experiences," he said. "So it's not like experience is going to be a great help."

AFP