Masters 2011: Are We Seeing the Death of American Golf?

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At the end of The Masters tournament this year, we have seen nine of the last 15 Major tournaments taken home by what Americans would call "foreigners."

While every winner in a Major is a good story, the number of Americans competing for the top spot becomes smaller and smaller as the years and tournaments roll by.

Is it similar to our financial structure as well?

Maybe.

But consider this: the top 10 at The Masters this year is the following:

1:  Charl Schwartzel—South Africa

T2: Jason Day—Australia

T2: Adam Scott—Australia

T4: Geoff Ogilvy—Australia

T4: Luke Donald—England

T4: Tiger Woods—United States of America

7:   Angel Cabrera—Argentina

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T8: Bo Van Pelt—United States of America

T8: K.J. Choi—South Korea

10: Ryan Moore—United States of America

The Masters has long been a tournament dominated by Americans.  With Tiger and Phil winning six of the last 10, it is tough to say that it is slipping away.

However, the young brigade behind them is far from being American.  If Phil and Tiger falter, there is little left in the American bag to overcome a strong contingent outside of our borders.

Surprised?

Name the third-best player in America right now.  A guy you would wager a wallet upon during any major to finish in the top 10?

Rickie Fowler was in good position after two rounds, only to fold like a tent under the pressure.  Bubba Watson and JB Homes?  Sure, they hit it long, but have zero game when the lights are the brightest.

Whatever happened to Charles Howell III, Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar and Ricky Barnes?  Good enough, but yet not good enough when the real play comes around in Majors.

The farther we get away from Lucas Glover's improbable U.S. Open victory, the farther we get away from young talent in Americans to contend for Majors.

What Young Guns Can Take Hold of Tiger and Phil's Sails?

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Take away Tiger and Phil, and it is a dismal look at American golf.

Tiger is now 35 and Phil is an "over-the-hill" 41.  Where are the young lions to back them up?

When Tiger blitzed the field at The Masters in 1997, we saw an awakening surrounding golf that reverberated around the planet.  One would have thought it would bring more fruition to Americans, but the only thing it has brought about is world competition.

With Phil Mickelson on the back end of his career in which challenging for Majors will start to become less frequent, Tiger is in a slump of all slumps as well. 

A quick look at the rest of the world, and we see a young and healthy amount of players eager and ready to take their place.  And it looks like zero young Americans are ready to fit that bill right now.

Take away Tiger and Phil, and it gets ugly in a hurry—especially for American golf fans.

Time to step up, youthful golfing Americans.  Otherwise, the world of golf is about to take a substantial shift in which we may not see an American win a Major for quite some time.

Unless Tiger finds his 2000-01 stride and form, the world of golf is outside the American borders for the first time in a very, very long time.

And it is very likely to stay there for a long time as well.

Source - Bleacher report