Accenture format favors Europeans

This week during the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, we're probably going to hear from writers, TV commentators and players about how much better the Europeans are at this format than the Americans.

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And there are numbers to back up this opinion. The Euros have dominated the Ryder Cup since 1995, taking four of the past five and six of the past eight.

Last year, not only did Ian Poulter beat Paul Casey in an all-English final in the Accenture, but also three of the four semifinalists were members of the European Tour, and the last American to fall was Stewart Cink, who couldn't make it out of the quarterfinals.

"Look at the international players now playing on the PGA Tour," Jack Nicklaus said last year. "All have learned to win from an early age because they play more match play. When you play match play, it teaches you how to win.

"We have guys coming out of college golf who haven't learned to win because college golf is a team game, and it's all about the team winning, the team score, not the individual…

"In match play ... you only have to beat the other guy. So you learn to be more aggressive."

Tiger Woods, who has captured the Accenture three times, is the only American to win the tournament in the past five years. Geoff Ogilvy of Australia, a member of the European Tour at that time, has won twice and Henrik Stenson of Sweden also has won in that span. Casey has been in the final each of the past two years.

"I've always enjoyed match play golf," said England’s Luke Donald, who has been a Ryder Cup stalwart and has a 10-6 record in the Accenture. "That one-on-one really focuses you. Growing up in the UK and playing all those match-play events when you are an amateur helped a little bit.

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"You learn all the little intricacies of when to attack and when not to. Match play is all about not giving away holes, and I've done that pretty well during my career. I guess I've been able to wear down my opponents over the years."

All that being said, it must be pointed out that the Americans have out-pointed the Europeans by a cumulative 13-8-2 count in final-day singles at the past two Ryder Cups.

The United States has dominated the Presidents Cup with a 6-1-1 record, defeating International teams that included the likes of major champions Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Nick Price, Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, Steve Elkington, Mike Weir, Angel Cabrera, Y.E. Yang, Trevor Immelman, Michael Campbell and Ogilvy.

Of course, the Americans have been known to have their problems in four-ball and foursome matches, but those formats are not what we will see this week at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Marana, Ariz.

There is one change in the Accenture: The final match has been trimmed from 36 holes to 18.

No one was talking about European domination two years ago when the 20 Euros went 10-10 in round one of the Accenture and the 17 Americans posted a 13-4 record.

Ogilvy downed Casey for the 2009 title, but Cink turned back Ross Fisher in the consolation match and Americans Justin Leonard, Sean O'Hair, Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson all made it to the quarterfinals.

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There are 24 Americans in the field this week and 20 Europeans, but six of the Euros are in the top 10 of the World Golf Rankings, including No. 1 Lee Westwood of England, No. 2 Martin Kaymer of Germany, No. 5 Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, No. 6 Casey, No. 7 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and No. 9 Donald.

So it might be that a bunch of Europeans are playing pretty well right now, whether it be stroke play, match play or even if the powers that be decided to have them play a skins game.

Of course, when the first ball is teed up on Wednesday, all of those rankings and other numbers will mean absolutely nothing.

"Anything can happen (in match play)," said Woods, who probably is the best singles match player in history with a 48-14-2 record as a professional, including 32-7 in the Accenture, 4-1-1 in Ryder Cup singles and 4-2 in Presidents Cup singles.

"The best player doesn't always win an 18-hole match. It's been proven and always will be proven in match play."

Despite his stellar match-play record, including a mind-boggling 36-0 mark while winning three consecutive U.S. Junior and three straight U.S. Amateur titles, Woods knows that as well as if not better than anyone.

Among those who have sent him packing in the Accenture are journeymen Peter O'Malley of Australia, Chad Campbell, Jeff Maggert and Nick O'Hern of Australia, twice.

All we really know about match play is to expect the unexpected.