Ryder Cup Mumbo Jumbo

In the aftermath of the recent U.S. Ryder Cup victory, there has been speculation about the reasons for the Americans' success. Most of the credit seems to go to the "brilliant" management and tactics of team captain Paul Azinger: dividing the 12 members into three stylistically similar groups of four, called pods; employing a team psychologist; and trying to create an environment "where each player could succeed by being themselves". What this really sounds like is so much New Age mumbo jumbo.

Prior to this year, the European squad had won 8 out of the last 11 competitions, but as far as we know they were podless. Prior to that, the Americans dominated the Cup for more than a decade with no psychologist, or even an acupuncturist or reflexologist, in evidence. Isn't it just possible, evenly remotely possible, that the Americans won at Valhalla because they happened to outplay the Europeans for three days in September?