Does the U.S. team need Tiger?

LONDON, England (CNN) -- He's the best golfer in the world today, and arguably one of the greatest players of all time. He's raised the profile of the sport across the world, attracting legions of fans whenever he plays. And he is injured.

In April, Tiger Woods had surgery on his left knee, which put him out of action until the U.S. Open in June. Since then, he's been out of competitions altogether.

It was clear then that the Ryder Cup would be affected by Tiger's absence, and it would be up to U.S. team captain, Paul Azinger to pick a team to compensate for the sizeable hole the world number one would leave.

Now the competition is finally here and the teams have been picked, leaving people to wonder whether the United States has enough strength in depth without the talismanic Tiger.

On paper, the U.S. team looks a little flimsy, with just six of the 12-man team making it into the top 20 in the world, and two of the team -- Chad Campbell and J.B. Holmes -- failing to hit the top 50. In the European camp, although they only have seven players in the top 20, all of the team feature in the top 50.

And, aside from rankings, the Europeans have a double Major title-holder in the squad, in the form of Padraig Harrington, who successfully defended his Open Championship title, as well as taking the PGA Championship. The only American to win a Major this season is the absent Tiger Woods.

The Americans do have world number two, the ever-consistent Phil Mickelson at the head of the team, so they needn't worry about the quality of their players, but no-one, not even Mickelson can conjure up the same sort of awe that Tiger can.

So what can the team do without him? Will it really make that much of a difference?

Maybe -- and maybe it's no bad thing. The Americans have lost the last three meetings, the last two by the huge margin of 9.5-18.5.

Tiger, who was present at all three of these defeats, can't be blamed for the scorelines, because it takes more than one person to win or lose an event like this, but it is clear the U.S. team needs a rethink. Removing the biggest name in the team may be one way of doing that.

Without Tiger the U.S. team will lack some of its star power, but although he has enjoyed huge success at tour events, it has never helped him in the team events.

He over-shadows the other players on the circuit, which, understandably, makes him a formidable opponent. But it also makes it harder to be his teammate: any partner he plays with is always playing second fiddle to the world's most famous golfer.

Players like Phil Mickelson have never been considered the main weapon in the U.S. team, because Tiger has been there. Now he isn't, Mickelson will have the opportunity to take center stage and maybe boost his statistics at the Ryder Cup.

Also, Tiger's record at the Ryder Cup leaves a great deal to be desired. In singles matches he manages to hold his own, sitting currently at 2-1-1, but in 16 team matches -- foursomes and four balls -- his past stats are less than impressive: 5-10-1.

So, despite being the top ranked player in the world, he has failed to live up to his reputation in team events, and may even be seen as something of a hindrance to U.S. Ryder Cup campaigns.

Ironically, it is Tiger's strength for the rest of the season that has made him such an obstacle to the team: any captain who leaves him out without a good reason can expect a great deal of criticism from journalists the world over.

Now he isn't a part of the team, the Americans are free to find someone who can perform better as a team player than the world number one.

So, in fact, rather than a problem for him, Tiger's absence may provide Paul Azinger with a rare opportunity to see how well the team can function without the overwhelming presence of Tiger, and maybe develop a sense of closeness and camaraderie in the U.S. camp that has been missing in recent years.

The problems will come if the team wins: future captains will be faced with the dilemma of sticking with a winning team, or bringing back the best in the world.

All About Ryder Cup • Tiger Woods • Phil Mickelson • Padraig Harrington