Ryder Cup Bulletin Board Material - Poulter: American Dominance Over

Ian Poulter has no reservations - just like Anthony Bourdain - about saying what is on his mind or expressing his feelings.  From flipping off the crowd at Scottsdale's famed 16th to complaining about the USA reaction to the World Cup tie with the English, Poulter is a straight shooter.  That reputation continued on Monday in a presser before the Open Championship.

Lawrence Donegan reported on the musings of the Englishman, whose opinion of his country must be bolstered by the recent resurgence of compatriots Justin Rose and Lee Westwood, fellow subject Darren Clarke, and the breakthrough of US Open champion Graeme McDowell.

"The American guys who have won all the tournaments over the past few years are getting older," said the world No8. "Phil [Mickelson] is 40 – can he do what Vijay [Singh] did in his 40s? He's strong enough; it's whether he is hungry enough, I guess.

"The talent [in America] to replace them is very young and needs a bit more experience, so we have a 15-year window. The Americans have a gap and that gap is being filled by European guys right now, guys who are in their late 20s, early 30s and who are doing the job right now."

Poulter's 15 year window is probably much draftier than he is trying to sell, but his sentiment is certainly not without merit. 

Europeans have been impressive in recent weeks on the PGA Tour, including McDowell's Pebble triumph.  Justin Rose has won two of the last three Tour events, and should have won them all.  Before that, Westwood was handed the event in Memphis - which, of course, can be misconstrued into a breakthrough when hardly anyone remembers that he won as much as Robert Garrigus lost it in a sea of swamp ass.

The American upper echelon is not getting any younger.  Woods is on the dark side of his 30s, Mickelson and Furyk pushing 40.  Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker are clearly no spring chickens.  Still, names like Anthony Kim, Dustin Johnson, Sean O'Hair, and Hunter Mahan are well established at this point in their young careers.