By Matt Slater Golf editor at The Grove

Among the many big questions being asked here this week - Which hole is Tiger on? What's Poulter wearing? Whose round is it? - perhaps the biggest is why can't Europeans win majors?

When are the Europeans going to turn team success into major success?

Put our boys together, slap 12 gold stars on their shirts and send them out against the world's best and you've got what Alan Partridge might describe as "liquid golf".

Sadly, the Ryder Cup comes around only once every two years, and you aren't allowed to play "best ball" in the majors.

But your eyes weren't deceiving you. The Europeans really did win the singles at the K Club 8�-3�. In fact, that was the third straight time they have won the Ryder Cup singles.

But only one of those Sunday winners in Ireland has won a major.

The man in question, Jose Maria Olazabal, has actually won two - the Masters in 1994 and 1999 - but his brace is a poor return for the team that Colin Montgomerie and Tom Lehman described as Europe's best ever.

So if they're that good, when are they going to start emulating the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo, who won 11 majors between them?

It's hard to imagine a guy like Colin Montgomerie not winning a major with the dominance he had over here and the control he has over the ball, but it didn't happen Jim Furyk

They certainly have the talent. Europe currently has eight players in the top 20. We've never had it so good.

One very large reason for our lack of individual silverware is Tiger Woods.

The American has won 12 majors during his 10-year career, and 11 of those have come in the 29 majors since Europe last won one - Paul Lawrie's triumph at the 1999 Open.

And, after another mediocre Ryder Cup showing, Woods is surprising nobody by running away with the WGC-American Express Championship here in Hertfordshire this week.

Having opened up his own Watford Gap at the top of the leaderboard - a yawning five shots - the 30-year-old is now almost certain to cash his 12th WGC winner's cheque in 22 starts and record a sixth straight victory on the PGA Tour.

He might be vulnerable in team matchplay, but there is little chance of the world's best player giving up a five-shot advantage.

Not on a course so suited to his game that second-placed Stewart Cink reprised the old Sandy Lyle gag to say The Grove's 18 holes should be renamed Tiger Woods.

Garcia still has plenty of time to live up to public expectation

But those remaining 18 trophies not on Tiger's sideboard have been grabbed by the likes of Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Todd Hamilton.

Todd who? You know...the bloke who beat Els in a play-off at Troon in 2004. No? Erm, he recently captained the US team in the All-Star Cup?

And that is what hurts most. OK, we'll give "the Big Four" their share, but why are the likes of Hamilton (and Ben Curtis, Shaun Micheel, Mike Weir, Jim Furyk and so on) winning?

Former US Open champion Furyk was another American star made to look beatable at the K Club, but here he is back at the coalface in a share of second place.

When asked for his opinion on why the Euros couldn't get it done on their own, Furyk said: "That's an impossible question to answer.

"They have a lot of guys that have the ability and talent to win majors.

If a player as good as Ian Poulter can't make the Ryder Cup team, European golf can't be in too bad a shape

"It's hard to imagine a guy like Colin Montgomerie not winning one with the dominance he had over here and the control he has over the ball, but it didn't happen. I don't know why."

Woods was equally flummoxed when asked if he agreed with Sergio Garcia's opinion that the Europeans were better suited to team events whereas Tiger was more suited to majors.

"I don't know," said Woods, before gathering himself to lob one back at Garcia, saying, "The record shows it."

Indeed it does, Tiger, and now it is up to the likes of Garcia and co to revise that record.

For a man of only 26, Garcia has carried the burden of being Europe's next most likely major champion for far too long.

Montgomerie might argue he has been lugging that tag around for the best part of 15 years, but there is a growing feeling that the Scot's last chance went when he asked for a different club in the middle of the 18th fairway at Winged Foot in June.

Garcia, however, has time on his side, although one worries about the scar tissue he has accumulated at the hands of Woods so early in his career.

Currently one place higher than the Spaniard in the rankings is his foursomes partner and double-act straight man, Luke Donald.

A local lad, there would be no more popular winner at The Grove than the 28-year-old. Eleven shots behind Woods already means that isn't going to happen, but Donald has certainly got the look of a major winner.

Faldo is the man he is most often compared to and the reasons are obvious. He is straight off the tee, great around the greens and is blessed with calmness and common sense.

Howell's talent with the putter could reap future rewards

But on Friday's evidence - and his season stats would bear this out - his lack of length off the tee puts pressure on his approach work.

He was regularly using two clubs more than playing partners Adam Scott and Brett Wetterich. He also does not hole enough putts.

The same could be said of Paul Casey so far this week, but the 29-year-old is overdue a poor tournament. Always a streaky putter, he is coming off two great weeks.

Casey is currently leading the European money list, which is some achievement when you consider he is 154th in the putts per round statistics.

But with his driving ability, a great week with the flat stick could easily see him win a major, with the Masters perhaps his best chance.

Two other European Ryder Cuppers at The Grove have also got good chances to further their major-winning credentials over the weekend.

David Howell and Padraig Harrington - ranked 13th and 19th respectively - are probably playing for second place on Sunday but increasingly look like potential winners of one of golf's four big prizes.

Howell's strength is his putting. Harrington is more of an all-rounder but question marks remain about his ability to close out victories.

A couple of shots behind the Irishman on seven under is another of the K Club crowd, Henrik Stenson. But the Swede is a little like Casey in that his powerful approach work can often be undone by clumsy work on the greens.

Alongside Stenson is a player who is probably the most local this week, Ian Poulter.

The 30-year-old clothes horse is becoming an increasingly consistent golfer.

His win in Madrid earlier this month came too late to earn him a second Ryder Cup cap but with his accuracy off the tee he would not look out of place in the winner's circle of a US Open - unless, of course, he was wearing shocking pink.

If a player as good as Poulter can't make the Ryder Cup team, European golf can't be in too bad a shape. And it isn't - I haven't even mentioned "veterans" like Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke or Lee Westwood yet.

So hang on in there. A European will win a major before the Americans win a Ryder Cup.