Ryder Cup 2016: Team USA need ‘fire cracker up butt’ or they may lose interest if beaten again
Davis Love's side in danger of becoming disillusioned should Europe win, warns ex-US PGA champ Rich Beem
AMERICA could lose interest altogether in the Ryder Cup if they are defeated on home turf this year.
That is the view of Rich Beem, whose greatest moment came on the Minnesota course in 2002.
Then he held off a rampaging Tiger Woods to claim the US PGA championship.
But, back at the scene of his infamous 72nd-hole dance, Beem sees storm clouds gathering for Davis Love's side.
Team USA have claimed the Ryder Cup just once this century with Europe beginning their bid for a record fourth straight win on Friday.
And Beem fears they could lose their will to win entirely should Darren Clarke's men prevail.
He said: "I'd like to think that USA is going to win because of all the changes they have made in their preparations. I think they will be demoralised if they don't.
"They brought in a task force but I don't know what this task force was about, what they talked about or what the ultimate goal of it was.
"They went behind locked doors and everyone gave their own advice and opinions on why we lose.
"Everyone says that on paper Europe will be overpowered, but I can make arguments why Europe look stronger."
One reason for that is the fraternal nature of the European Tour, something Beem experienced first hand in 2012.
But also the loneliness and brutal nature of travel and practise not seen on the over side of the pond.
"It's easy to stay home. When you're done on Sunday it's easy to hop on a commercial jet or a private jet and be home three hours later. In Europe you don't do that.
"When I was in Europe in 2012, if I missed the cut it never occurred to me to go to the golf range to hit balls because I never did that in the US.
"It never occurred to me to hang around because I had other options. In Europe you're stuck, so you deal with it.
"That helps the European Tour players. If you force a guy to sit around hitting balls on the same range as the guys he played with on Thursday and Friday, but he's not playing, I think that would light a fire cracker in his butt. That would sting.
"But Americans don't do that. As soon as they missed the cut they’re gone. We get a little complacent.
"I'm not knocking Jordan Spieth, but when he came to play in Abu Dhabi and then down in Malaysia, he was talking about being tired and things like that. I could probably be tired too for three million bucks.
"This is what global golf is all about. This is how you become a global player, like Greg Norman or Seve Ballesteros or Gary player or Ernie Els. All those great players played global golf, but players of today don't have to do that any more.
"So do we get a little bit too complacent? Yeah.'