Nicklaus backs United States for Ryder Cup glory

Jack Nicklaus has come out in support of the United States ahead of the 2008 Ryder Cup.

Nicklaus went against a recent spate of gloomy forecasts for the US Ryder Cup campaign by stating that the Americans would have little trouble in winning back the Ryder Cup in the absence of Tiger Woods.

"Even without Tiger, they should win easily. I just believe we have better players," Nicklaus said. "Europe has a lot of good players and a host of very promising young guys. But who among them has a great record?”

Nicklaus' sentiments raised a few eyebrows given the strong performances put in by European players in the majors this year. The Americans also have little to brag about on the domestic front, where international players have claimed many of the key PGA Tour titles.

"I'm tired of hearing about the European dominance in the Ryder Cup,” Nicklaus added. "But I'm sure for many years the Europeans got tired of hearing about American dominance and they're revelling about turning it around."