ESPN 2007 Presidents Cup

MONTREAL -- There is probably not a whole lot of angst today in South Africa or Australia or Korea. Certainly not in Fiji. Nor Canada, for that matter.

The International team lost another Presidents Cup. So what?

It's just not the same as the underdog Europeans' fighting for their tour's and a continent's pride during the Ryder Cup. Or the Americans, whose followers believe they should win everything.

Playing for the "rest of the world" in the Presidents Cup is a concoction of the PGA Tour to allow foreign golfers not eligible for the Ryder Cup a chance to experience the same thrill of team competition. And it has worked out nicely, as sellout crowds of Canadian golf fans proved at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

But still, there is something missing, and it simply cannot be manufactured. There is no flag to wave for the "rest of the world." The players on the International team don't have any particular animosity toward their American counterparts. In fact, they see each other nearly every week on the PGA Tour.

Friday's best-ball matches presented a prime example. Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk were paired against Stuart Appleby and Vijay Singh. Woods and Appleby have been neighbors for years in the same Orlando community. Same for Furyk and Singh in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. And yet, they were on opposing teams.

Then it really hit home on Saturday, when Argentina's Angel Cabrera and South Korea's K.J. Choi were partners. Not only do they not share a country or a tour, they don't even speak the same language.

So while we're still talking about playing golf, an individual game that at its purest requires hitting the shots and getting the ball in the hole, there is perhaps an intangible that is missing for the International team, a truly-motivated state that the Americans see crystal clear when they play the Europeans at the Ryder Cup. Sure, it can be argued, the International team has nothing to lose. But judging by its performance in seven Presidents Cups, maybe it doesn't have the same desire.

Here are some other reasons why the Americans seem to have an easier time of it at the Presidents Cup than they do when playing in the Ryder Cup.

• They have more fun and play looser.
Each player ultimately was asked what the difference is between the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, a question often met with a shake of the head and a perplexed look. But they admitted a different feeling at the Presidents Cup.

"I think we have a little bit more fun and enjoy it this week," said Jim Furyk, who has been a member of every Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup team since 1997. "What that translates into our play, I'm not sure. I go to the Ryder Cup thinking that I'm going to loosen up and I'm going to enjoy the week and I'm always a little bit tighter."

• Jack Nicklaus is the captain.
There is much to be said for the respect the players have for the Golden Bear. Playing for him truly is an honor. There is probably not the same feeling at the Ryder Cup, where captains are decorated but also still are contemporaries playing the PGA Tour. And let's face it: Who is going to shun Jack Nicklaus?

• The players decide their partners.
Nicklaus basically lets the players decide who will play with whom and it has worked wonders. Never was that more evident than in the foursomes (alternate shot) competition, which saw the Americans win 10½ out of 11 points. That is remarkable when you consider they have won just five matches in that format at the last three Ryder Cups combined. It also helps that the captains can match their players against the opponent. That allows a few grudge matches to be settled, if there are any. We're not saying Phil Mickelson wanted Singh on Sunday -- he wouldn't admit that was the case -- but if he did, well, he got him, and took care of business.

• They are truly underdogs.
Despite the excellence of the U.S. team, it is always facing an all-star squad of world players from outside of Europe. You nearly had to be ranked among the top 20 in the world to make the team. This year, nine players were ranked among the top 20, giving the squad great depth. The Americans know they are facing a strong squad -- or at least that usually appears stronger than the one they see in Europe.

• Everybody plays.
While this would seem to hurt the Americans against a stronger team, it undoubtedly has been a detriment in the Ryder Cup, where four players are required to sit out each session of the first two days. At the Presidents Cup, everybody plays the first two days, and only two players sit out each Saturday session. That would help the Americans in the Ryder Cup. And it makes the captain's job easier because he doesn't have to hurt any feelings. Scott Verplank was still smarting over being left out of the first day of last year's Ryder Cup. He went 4-0 at the Presidents Cup.

Bob Harig is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at BobHarig@gmail.com.