Americans should issue a challenge

• By Randall Mell
• Aug 5, 2009 2:07 PM ET

South Korea vs. the Americans.

The matchup would intrigue in an international team event if somebody were to set it up.

Unlike the men, there’s plenty of room on the women’s schedule for it to go with the Solheim Cup and the Lexus Cup.
   
For all the LPGA fans who don’t like the South Koreans’ growing presence on the tour – I’ll forward you my e-mails – that’s one event I suspect they’d make a point to watch.

All the fans who admire the South Korean work ethic and style – I have those e-mails, too – would relish seeing how their favorite Far East players stack up against America’s best.

Yes, the Lexus Cup features Asians against an international team, but narrowing a competition to South Korea vs. the United States changes the nature of the competition, intensifying the patriotic dynamics. These two nations have the most players ranked among the top 25 in the world (13 – seven South Koreans, six Americans).

Given the nature of these team events, the competition would allow American audiences to become more familiar with South Korea’s best players, their personalities and their stories. That's sadly lacking with the communication gap. The format would allow television to tell players’ stories as part of the show. Played under golf’s honorable traditions, such competition has the potential to intensify interest in the women’s game by building familiarity and rivalries.