Paul Azinger has said that the US Ryder Cup team must come to terms with the pressure of ending Europe''s domination of the competition.
The Americans have not won the Ryder Cup since Brookline in 1999, but Azinger is confident the team can arrest that slide under his captaincy at Valhalla in September.
He told Golf World recently that his 12 team members will be encouraged to "have fun" at the Ryder Cup, but also appreciate the magnitude of their task.
"I want them to feel the pressure, to embrace it through preparation and realise what a great opportunity it is, to get this thing turned around," Azinger said.
Golf World''s John Hawkins has backed the 48-year-old to succeed where Hal Sutton and Tom Lehman recently failed, citing his "excellent relationship" with Phil Mickelson and good understanding of Tiger Woods as important factors.
Sutton''s decision to pair Mickelson and Woods together for the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills if often said to have contributed to the European victory, as the two players were known to have a frosty relationship.
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