Here in Britain, the country is mourning their football team's miserable performance in South Africa and Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has placed the blame at the foot of a school system that has eschewed a culture of competitive sport. This comes at a time when British golfers have never been more competitive on the world stage - not since the glory days a century ago of Vardon, Ray and Taylor anyway - but the nature of the game is that self-reliance and motivation is the only way to succeed. Non-competitive school sport has not seemed to hurt players like Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose or Lee Westwood.

The English beat us at the cricket yesterday but that was scant consolation for the football and Justin Rose looked a certain winner in Hartford and that would have made an unprecedented four consecutive wins for British players in the United States.

He had won for the first time on the American tour at The Memorial only three weeks ago and had opened up in Hartford with 64, 62 and 68. This is not a particularly difficult course - surely a relief after the torture test at Pebble Beach last week - but with a three-shot lead over Ben Curtis here was a big opportunity. Instead he produced a five-over 75 on Sunday and fell to the fringes of the top 10.

The veteran American Scott Verplank came in early with a 64 but he looked to be at least one shot too many but that was before Rose made a mess of the short par-four 15th hole.

The remarkable Corey Pavin came next and he proved to be a fascinating contrast with the huge-hitting Bubba Watson.

Pavin beat Greg Norman at Shinnecock Hills for the 1995 U.S Open and at the final hole there the smallest man on the tour hit a brilliant fairway wood within five feet on the final green. Norman coming behind hit a seven iron and that was a fair reflection of the games of the two of the best players of the mid-'90s.

Fifteen years on, Pavin shares his time between his duties as the Ryder Cup Captain (the most over-rated job in golf), the main tour, where is far from being out of his league if the courses suit, and the Champions Tour. He came to the last hole needing a four to tie Verplank and duly made it after a four-iron second shot and a neat chip and putt from the fringe.

He is one of the most inventive shotmakers ever to play the game and he is the antithesis of the players who stamp out one identical looking shot after another. Peter O'Malley is a master at that game and like Pavin he a player who has been all but driven out of the game because of the modern emphasis on power. The balance of the game has been altered - and lost - by the modern equipment and players like O'Malley and Pavin are too short to compete on the bigger courses. It is a pity because they provide an interesting and important contrast and it was highlighted by Watson who came to the final hole needing a birdie to tie Verplank and Pavin.

Watson is almost as inventive as Pavin but he plays with almost unbelievable power. (That's him, pictured above, talking to an errant shot.) He seems to play without thought or regard for mechanical fundamentals and under the pressure he made a horrible mess of the threatening 17th hole. Needing two pars to win he made a thrashing swing with a long iron and clearly fearing the right water he blew it miles left into the fairway bunker and from there he topped the long escape in to the water. Six was all he could do from there and with the pressure off he pounded a drive 396 yards down the final fairway. It did land on the road that crosses the fairway but all the same it was a massive hit and it left him less than sixty yards to the hole. Pavin's four iron, by way of contrast, was played from just over 190 yards. Watson then flipped a little wedge close and made the putt to tie.

In the end Watson, won the playoff at the third extra hole for his first win on the tour but it was the contrast in play between Pavin and Watson that showed how important it is for the game to regain the balance between power and course that allows for men like Pavin to compete so long as they are clever and brave enough.

The English football team, in the meantime, could have well done with someone with Pavin's deft skills against the Germans.